
Class Sk)L&*L 



Book—^StSa. 
GogyrigM^? 



COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 



HOW TO 



A B@©k ©f Tumbling, Trioks, Pypa 
mids and Cannes 



t/ BY 

HORACE BTJTTERWORTH 

INSTRUCTOR IN GYMNASTICS 

THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO 









*5i* 



K 6 



Chicago 

PUBLISHED BY THE; AUTHOR. 

1899^ 



Gv 



THE LIBRARY OF 

CONGRESS, 
Two Copies Received 

JUN. 

Copyright entry 

No. 



COPY B, 



COPYRIGHT, 1899 ; 
BV HORACB BUTTERWORTH. 



Clarendon Publishing Co. 
Chicago. 



j^reffi 



-JFSTT^d© 



JT IS PROBABLE THAT A DEEP DELVER INTO 
the history of Gymnastics will find nothing new in 
the various Tricks, Games, Pyramids and feats of 
Tumbling which are described in this hook, for the sad- 
eyed conclusion of the disgruntled author of Ecclesias- 
tes that " there is no new thing under the sun," is pecu- 
liarly applicable to all bodily exercises. Illustrations 
of various styles of wrestling, showing many of the 
holds in common use today, have been found in the 
tombs of Egypt, placed there, without doubt, hundred 
of years before the beginning of the Christian era. 
have seen fac-similes of vases, made in the palmy days 
of Greece, upon which were representations of Athletic 
Games, Contortion and Tumbling Acta, etc. I have 
some photographic copies of drawings, taken from a 
book printed in 1652, which show Tight-Rope Walking, 
Juggling, Balancing, Exercises with Dumb Bells, Weight 
Lifting, etc., in Rome, when that city was the undis- 
puted Mistress of the World. Most of that which is 
called New is but the Old revived and, sometimes, 
redressed. 

The following pages have been prepared for the 
purpose of making available to as large a number of 
young people as may be a part of the material which 
successive generations have evolved for amusing and 
strengthening their youth. For the furtherance of 
this purpose I have kept in mind these five principles, 
laid down long ago by an eminent teacher of Gymnas- 
tics: " All exercises should be safe, short, easy, bene- 
ficial and pleasing." 



The book is divided into twenty-five sections, each 
containing selections from four groups of exercises, 
Tumbling, Tricks, Pyramids and Games . This method 
of arrangement has been followed, partly, for the pur- 
pose of supplying varied, ready-made, though flexible, 
programmes, available at a moment's notice, and 
partly, in order to give illustrations of how to join sep- 
arate exercises into a series in connection with the 
description of the movements themselves. 

Most of the illustrations have been made from 
instantaneous photographs. 

The descriptions and directions which are given 
in the text are those which I have found by experi- 
ence to result in the most satisfactory progress in the 
shortest possible time. 

The tingling blood and daring nerve of youth 
demand employment. Do something it must and will. 

Whether the activities of the young are beneficial 
or baneful to themselves or others depends, in large 
measure, I think, upon what they know how to do. I 
hope that this book, telling how to do a great many 
things requiring muscular action, will be a source of 
happiness and good to many. 

HORACE BUTTERWORTH. 
Chicago, July, 1899. 



HOW TO 



Forward Roll— Place the hands on the 
floor about a foot in front of the toes, with the 
fingers slightly bent and spread. Put the chin 
against the chest and lean forward until the back 
of the head rests on the mat(Fig.l). Push strongly 
with the toes and roll, keeping the knees close to 




3 2 1 

the chest. As the toes leaye the mat, swing the 
arms vigorously forward to grasp the legs a little 
above the instep (Fig. 2) and pull. . This will bring 
you into the position shown by Fig. 3. Stand erect. 
If two or more rolls are to be done in succession 
place the hands on the mat at the beginning of 
each roll. 

Snail Crawl — Take position 4. Move the 
hands alternately forward and drag the body along, 
the upper side of the toes being against the mat. 
Vary the exercise by slapping the chest with each 
hand before it is put down; also, by slapping the 
chest with both hands and reaching forward as 
they return to the mat. 




2 HOW TO 

Jump Between the Hands— Place the hands 
on the mat a little in front of the toes, with the 
elbows inside the knees. 
Throw the legs backward 
until the body is nearly 
straight(Fig. 4. ) The weight 
is borne entirely by the toes ~ A 

and hands, the hands being directly beneath the 
shoulders. Spring forward from the toes, bring- 
ing the knees as near as possible to the chest. As 
the feet are about to touch the mat, press strongly 
from the hands and raise them a trifle; at the same 
time put the feet through and assume a sitting 
position with the legs flat on the mat. Cross the 
legs and arise. After a few trials you will be able 
to jump through without raising the hands. 

Wheelbarrow — A 

takes position 4. B takes 
hold of A's ankles and 
pushes him about the 
room, A moving his 
hands sometimes alter- 
nately forward (Fig. 5) 
s "^ " and sometimes both at 

once. A rolls over forward as a finish. 

Kneel and Rise — Toe a line in the floor; kneel 
and rise without moving the toes from the line or 
using the hands. 




HOW TO 




Shoulder Wrestle 

— Two boys face 
each other and 
place their hands 
on each other's 
shoulders, Fig 6. 
By pushiDg, pull- 
ing, twisting, etc.. 
The 



each tries to make the other move his feet, 
one moving first loses. 



Armless Rise — Sit or lie on the mat. Fold 
the arms across the chest. Draw the feet in close 
to the hips, throw the head and shoulders suddenly 
forward and arise. Crossing the legs makes the 
exercise too easy and is not allowed. 



Pyramid — (Fig. 7.) Five boys stand side by 
side with their arms resting on one another's shoul- 
ders, and with their 
feet as close together 
as possible. At a sig- 
nal all slowly fall 4% 
away from the center 
boy, slipping their 
hands along the arms 7 

and sliding the feet toward the center, until 
end boys can help support by placing their 
hands on the mat. 




the 

free 



4 HOW TO 

Frog Jump— Take position 9. Reach for- 
ward two or three feet with the hands. Spring 
from both feet and place them close to the hands, 
keeping the hands on the mat. Continue the alter- 
nate movement of hands and feet. To finish, 
either roll forward, or straighten the body to an 
erect position quickly as the feet come close to the 
hands. 

Follow my Leader — The players range them- 
selves behind one chosen as the leader and must 
do everything done by him, such as running with 
the hands held above the head, Fig. 8, or in other 




positions, leaping over obstacles, hopping, climb- 
ing, etc. When one fails to do a particular thing 
he drops out. Play continues until all but one are 
out, or until all are tired. 

Combination — Roll forward, place the hands 
on the floor and throw the legs backward to posi- 
tion 4, jump between the hands to a sitting posi- 
tion, draw the feet close to the body, throw the 
head and shoulders suddenly forward aud rise. 



HOW TO 





II 

Backward Roll — Raise the heels 
and bend the knees as much as pos- 
sible, keeping the back nearly straight 
and the arms at the sides. Rest the 
fingers on the floor to maintain your 
balance (Fig. 9), Throw yourself 
so as to touch 
ing order: The 
back,the hands, 
head. The hands 
soon as you be- 



9 backward 

the mat in the follow- 
heels, the hips, the 
the shoulders, the 
are swung backward as 
gin to roll, and should be placed as in 
Fig. 10. Push strongly with them so 
as to make room for the head to turn. 
Keep the knees close to the face 
throughout the roll, and you will 
land in the position from which 
you started, but with the hands on the mat in 
front, instead of at the sides (Fig. 11). 

The Stooping Stretch— Draw 
a line on the floor and toe it with 
both feet, the legs well spread. 
Take a piece of chalk in one hand, 
pass it between the legs and under 
the bend of one knee, and make a 
mark on the floor as far forward as 
12 you can without losing your bal- 




1 1 




6 



HOW TO 




13 



auce (Fig. 12) or moving your feet from the line. 
Try it also by putting only one foot at the line, 
while the other is placed directly behind. 

Rub and Pat— Rub the top of the head with 
the left hand, while you pat the chest with the 
right. Change the action of each hand. 

Jump Backward on the Shoul- 
ders — Roll backward until you rest 
on the elbows, shoul- 
ders and head, the hands 
on the hips, with the 
fingers behind and the 

thumbs in front. Bend the knees 

until they almost touch the face (Fig. 

13). Kick upward and backward as 

vigorously as you can to position 

shown in Fig. 14. You will be lifted 

clear of the mat and moved a few 

inches backward. Push the chin close to the chest, 

so as to avoid striking the head when you alight. 

Travel across the mat in this way. 

Roll Over Boys — Have three or more boys 
get down on their hands and knees, side by side. 
Put your hands on the near boy and roll across the 
backs to the floor without catching hold of your 
legs as you turn. You should land squarely on 
your feet. 




14 



HOW TO 




Roll, Holding Toes or Ankles— To roll for- 
ward, place the elbows inside the knees and grasp 
the toes very firmly, with the fingers 
beneath and the thumbs on top, all 
pointed toward the heels. Lean for- 
ward slowly, until the back of the 
head touches the mat, then roll fast. 
To roll backward, assume the same 
15 position, then sit as close to the heels 

as possible, keep the chin close to the chest, and 
go very fast from the start. Do the same exercises 
holding the ankles as in Fig. 15. 

Pull Over — Two boys 
take a stick in their hands 
and sit down with their feet 
against one another. At a 
signal, they both pull. The 
one maintaining his place 
wins. (Fig. 16). 

Combinations — Roll forward three or four 
times; spring up in the air, make a half turn, then 
roll backward several times. 

Do the same, holding on to the toes and also 
to the ankles. Both of these are very hard to do 
backward. Have the hips high at the start, then 
sit on the heels and roll very fast. Be sure to keep 
a tight grasp. 

Roll backward once; roll backward to position 
shown in Fig. 13; then make several jumps on the 




16 



8 



HOW TO 



shoulders. To finish, bring the knees close to the 
face (legs straight) swing the arms forward to grasp 
the legs above the ankles, as in the roll forward, 
and come to the standing position. 

Roll backward once; throw the legs back to 
position 4, and jump upward, clapping feet and 
hands; put the back of the head on the floor and 
roll forward to stand. 

Pyramid— (Fig. 17). Five boys take part. 
Three stand side by side, one behind and one in 
front of the middle boy; the one in front having 
his legs well spread. The middle boy bends for- 




17 



waru, puts his head between the legs and lifts the 
one in front to a seat on his shoulders. The boys 
on each side raise the near leg. The middle boy 
takes hold of the ankles, with the palms of his 



HOW TO 9 

hands facing backward, and places the feet behind 
his hips. The boy behind steps on to the raised 
legs, and the four take hold of hands, the outside 
boys putting their free hands on their hips. 

King of the Castle— A small hill is needed in 
order to play this game. One player, selected by 
lot, goes to the top of the hillock as king. The 
others try "to pull or push him from his elevation. 
He tries by the same means to keep his place. It 
is allowable to take hold of the arm, or the leg, 
but not to hold the clothing. If anyone violates 
this rule, he must sit down until the struggle is 
over. The player who succeeds in dethroning the 
king takes his place. 



10 



HOW TO 



in 

Head Stand— Place the 

hands on the mat, the width 
of the shoulders apart, with 
the fingers spread and slightly 
bent. Place the front part of 
the head down a foot or more 
in front of the 
leg bent a good 
between the arms, 
most straight ( Fig. 
legs upward to po- 
the straighter leg 
port a good share 
the hands. To de- 
knees, drop back, 19 





18 

hands. Have one 
deal, with the knee 
and the other al- 
18). Throw the 
sition in Fig. 19, 
moving first. Sup- 
of the weight on 
scend, bend the 



straighten the arms? 
and come to position in Fig. 11, or, 
keeping the legs straight, bend slowly 
at the waist, push up from the hands 
enough to allow the back of the head 
to be placed on the mat (Fig. 20), 
then bend the knees and roll for- 
ward, as in positions 2 and 3. Try 
starting from position 11, and throw 
both feet up at once. 

Sit on the Heels and Jump — Take position 
30, but without grasping the insteps. Have the top 




HOW TO 11 

of the foot flat on the mat. Throw the arms vig- 
orously forward and upward, and spring to the 
feet. See how far you can jump. 



Horizontal Upward Jump — The starting po- 
sition is showD by Fig. 4. As preliminary exer- 
cises, bend the arms slightly, push strongly from 
the hands, raise them, slap the chest and replace. 
Keep the hands down and spring from the toes, 
allowing the back to remain in the position shown 
in the figure. Spring upward from hands and 
feet, simply raising them a few inches from the 




21 



floor. If you can do this, clap the hands while 
you are in the air (Fig. 21). When this is mas- 
tered, clap the heels and the hands while in the 
air. You can maintain the proper position of the 
back by keeping the body stiff and using only the 
arms and toes to get the spring from. Finish by 
springing forward to stand where the hands have 
been. 




12 HOW TO 

Twins' Promenade— Two boys about the same 
height and weight stand back to back. Lock arms. 
Keep the backs and hips as 
close as possible. Bend the 
knees slowly and move the 
feet a little forward; at the 
same time press forcibly 
against each other (Fig. 22). 
Agree in which direction you 
are to go, then raise the legs 
on one side and move them together. Straighten 
up a little as you take the step, and resume the 
first position when the feet are put down. 

Palm Spring — Make a mark on the floor a 
short distance from the wall. Toe this mark, then 
lean forward and place one hand against the wall. 
Spring back to an upright position by pushing 
with the supporting hand, throwing the head back, 
and bending the knees a little. If the free hand 
and arm are allowed to swing under the body as 
you go forward, you can get good assistance in 
recovering by throwing them vigorously backward. 
Increase the distance from the wall after each suc- 
cessful try. 

Book Throw — Fix a book between the feet, 
and by a jump and backward jerk of the lower legs 
throw it forward over the head. 



HOW TO 



13 



The Crawler — Take 

the position shown in Fig. 

23; move forward by «§& 

straightening the bent 23 

arm and leg, and turning onto the opposite side. 





Pyramid — (Fig. 24). 
Three boys stand in line. 
A and B take hold of C's 
belt, while C places his 
hands on their shoulders. 
At a signal, C springs up- 
ward, pushing with his 
hands and lifted by A and 
B. He is kept up by A 
and B pushing upward and 
inward against his waist. 



Combinations— Roll backward; throw the legs 
back to position in Fig. 4, snail crawl; horizontal 
upward jump; jump forward to position 30, keep-, 
iiig the hands on the mat; jump forward to stand; 
roll forward. 

Roll backward to position 13; jump backward 
on the shoulders; cross the legs and roll forward to 
sitting position; grasp the toes and roll to stand. 

Two boys start at opposite ends of the mat, and 
do one frog jump; roll forward; one-half turn on 
the spot in bent knee positions; lock arms and do 



14 



HOW TO 



twins' promenade (Fig. 22); draw the feet in, un- 
lock the arms, and roll forward. 

Head stand; roll forward; crawl as in Fig. 23; 
roll forward to stand. 

Head stand; roll forward; frog jump; roll 
backward or forward to stand. 

Fox and Hen— (Fig. 25). In this play one 
imitates a hen defending her chickens against a fox. 
All of the players, except the fox, place themselves 
one behind another, the hands on the shoulders of 
the next in front. The player with the hands free 
is the hen, and the fox stands facing her. The fox 
must try to catch the last pullet in the line, which 




the hen defends by striving to place herself always 
in front of the fox. If the fox tags the last pullet, 
he carries it off to his den, and tries to get another. 
If one takes his hand off the shoulders of the next 
in front, he and all behind him become prisoners. 
The game is ended when all the chicks are captured. 



HOW TO 



15 



,>■■" 



IV 




26 



Fix your gaze on 



Hand Stand — Have one 
foot about fifteen inches in 
advance of the other. Place 
the hands on the mat about 
the same distance in front of 
the foremost foot, with the 
fingers spread and slightly bent, 
some spot a few inches in front of the hands 
Lean forward and bend the arms a trifle (Fig. 26). 
Swing the legs upward as though they were going 
to touch the ceiling, the rear leg moving first, and 
straighten the arms as they rise. Bring the legs 
together as soon as possible, and set the muscles of 
the back so as to hold the balance (Fig. 27). If 
you feel that you are going to fall on your back, 
pick up one hand, turn the face toward the oppo- 
site arm (Fig. 28), and drop the feet to 
the mat (Fig. 29), or keep both hands 
down, bend the arms slowly, put the 
back of the head on the mat, drop the 
legs backward and roll, as in Fig. 20. 

Begin by throwing the legs only 
part way up to the stand, and increase 
the strength of your throw only as you 
become accustomed to the sensation of 
being upside down. The really difficult 
part of the movement is to hold the po- 




16 



HOW TO 




28 



sition steadily, and nothing but con- 
stant practice will give you this ability. 
After you reach the point where it is a 
matter of inches in the position of your 
legs, you may assist yourself in catching 
the balance, if you are too far over, by 
pressing the head back hard, or by tak- 
ing a short step with one or both hands; 
if you are not quite far enough over, by 
bending the arms a little and dropping 
the chin toward the chest. Assistance 
may be obtained by having the feet rest 
against a wall, when they are up, or by having 
someone catch and hold the legs. 

Some find the following an easier 
way to reach the hand stand: Take 
position 11. Lean forward and bend 
the arms a little; spring from both feet, 
and straighten the thighs, but keep the 
knees bent and the heels close to the 
hips; kick upward vigorously with both 
legs, and straighten arms to position 27. 

Twiat Through a Wand— Take a stick about 
four feet long, and hold it horizontally in front of 
you. Put the right leg outside the right arm and 
over the stick inside the arm, bending toward the 
right to allow the right foot to rest on the floor. 
Raise the left arm and bring the head between the 
arm and the stick. Slip the stick down the back. 




HOW TO 



17 



and lift first the left foot over and then the right, 
changing the now twisted grip to the original one 
only after coming to the starting position. 



Walk on the Knees — 

Kneel; sit on the heels and 
grasp the insteps (Fig. 30). 
Lean forward suddenly and 
pull the feet from the floor 
(Fig. 81). Move each knee 
alternately forward. You will 
find it rather difficult to keep 
your balance at first. 




Circles — Describe circles in the air with both 
hands, the right moving toward the body and the 
left away from it, or vice versa. 

Roll — Start as in the backward roll, but when 
you reach position 10, straighten the arms and legs 
quickly, and you will alight in position 4. 



Nose and Ear — Cross the arms. Grasp the 
left ear with the right hand and the nose with the 
left. Release the grasp; uncross and recross the 
arms, grasping now the right ear with the left 
hand and the nose with the right. Make the 
changes very rapidly. 




18 HOW TO 

Fall Porward — Have the mus- 
cles rigidly set from the neck to the 
heels; raise the heels and fall for- 
ward without bending at the knees or 
hips (Fig. 32). Just before you 
reach the mat, raise the arms in front 
of the chest and land as in Fig. 4. 
Bend the arms to avoid a severe jar, 
then straighten them again to the 
32 landing position. 

Rolls — In forward rolls, where the hands are 
not placed on the mat, lean forward slowly until 
the back of the head touches, and then roll fast; 
in backward rolls, where the hands do not touch, 
be sure to keep doubled up as tightly as possible, 
and go very fast. I shall simply name the exer- 
cises; most of them can be done both backward 
and forward. 

Cross the legs below the knees and roll — the 
hands touch the mat. Fold the arms and roll. 
Fold the arms, cross the legs and roll. Cross the 
legs, hold the toes and roll. Cross the legs, sit 
down, hold the toes and roll. Clasp the hands be- 
neath the knees and roll. Raise one leg as high as 
you can, either in front or behind, and roll without 
allowing the lifted foot to touch the mat. 

Try rolling with the hands clasped behind the 
head, resting on the hips, with the arms held 
straight out at the sides, etc. 



HOW TO 



19 



If you have trouble in getting over on any of 
the back rolls, turn one cheek toward the mat, and 
you will "flop" over easily, but this is poor form. 

Combinations— Fall forward (Fig. 32), jump 
between the hands to sitting position; roll back- 
ward to position 13, and jump backward on the 
shoulders; roll forward to stand. 

Head stand; roll forward to position 30; walk on 
the knees; jump forward to stand. 

Head stand; drop the feet back to the mat; roll 
backward to position 4; horizontal upward jump, 
with hand and feet clapping; roll forward to stand. 

Pyramid— (Figs. 33 and 

34). The six boys who are to 
take part in this should get 
on their hands and knees and 
practice sliding the hands for- 
ward and the legs backward 
suddenly at a given signal. 
When all can do this in con- 
cert it is safe to try the pyra- 
mid. Let three boys get on 
their hands and knees; have 
two stand behind these, and one behind the two. 
Each of the two places a hand on a shoulder, and 
a knee on a hip of the middle boy, and the other 
hand and knee on the outside boy. The third boy 
places a foot on the hips of one of those outside 
and climbs on top of the two, having one hand on 





20 HOW TO 

the shoulders and one 
knee on the hips of 
each (Fig. 33). At a 
signal, agreed upon in 
advance, all suddenly 
slide their arms for- 
ward and their legs 
backward, landing as in Fig. 34. There is no severe 
shock if all straighten out as directed. As your 
skill improves, increase the size of your pyramid. 

Rope Jump — The players form a circle. One 
lies on his back in the centre and swings a rope so 
that those in the circle are obliged to jump or be 
hit about the ankles. If a player is hit, he takes 
the place of the one swinging the rope. 



HOW TO 



21 




35 

Dive — Have a boy get down on his hands and 
knees, crosswise of the mat; stand on one side and 
put your hands down on the opposite side and roll, 
as shown in Figs. 20, 2 and 3. Next time give a 
slight jump and alight on the hands after 
the feet have left the mat. Increase the distance 
you jump by taking a slight run. Increase the 
height also. Be very careful to master the exercise 
thoroughly before you go either fast, far or high. 

Hop Fight — Two boys cross their arms over 
their chests and hop. They try to make each other 
lose balance and touch the raised foot to the 
ground by pushing with the elbows or shoulders. 

Hold the Toes and Jump— Heel a line. Grasp 
the toes with the fingers beneath and pointed toward 




22 HOW TO 

the heel. Lean forward, then backward, and jump 
over the line. Toe the same mark and jump over 
it forwards, holding the toes. This is harder. 

Sit and Rise — 

Extend the arms for- 
ward and raise one leg 
to a horizontal posi- 
tion (Fig. 36). Lean 
forward; slowly bend 
the knee of the stand- 
ing leg as far as pos- 
sible without losing your balance, keeping the heel 
on the floor (Fig. 87). Rise. The free leg remains 
on the horizontal throughout. The exercise can be 
done with the arms in other positions. This is the 
easiest. 

Rolls With Shears— Roll forward, but while 
you are on your back, cross your bent legs, turn 
your head, turn on one foot, and alight facing the 
point from which you started. 

Roll backward, but when you get the weight 
on the hands and begin to turn over onto your feet, 
cross your bent legs, turn your head, push hard 
with the hands, and alight facing the opposite way 
from the start. 

Lock the toes in the knee joints, tailor fashion, 
and roll forward and backward in this position. 



HOW TO 



23 




33 



Have 



Leap Frog — A leans forward and 
places his hands on his thighs (Fig. 38); 
B runs, places his hands on A's shoul- 
ders (Fig. 39), and straddles over him to 
the mat. 

Make a quarter turn while you are 
going over. 

two or four boys put their 
heads together, with arms on one an- 
other's shoulders, and straddle over them. 
Have any number of boys stand one 
behind the other, hands about waist and 
heads on. the same side of the body of the 
next in front, and straddle over, touching 
the front boy, then the next, and so on 
to the last. The boy in front has his 
hands on his thighs. 

Have two boys stand three feet apart, each with 
one foot advanced, and clasp the near hands. Jump 
over between by placing a hand on each of the 
near shoulders. These two should lean a little for- 
ward, and hold themselves very firmly for the push- 
off. 




Push Boy — Form a small circle,, with one 
player standing in the centre. He holds himself 
stiff from head to heels, and falls over. As he nears 
one in the circle, he must be pushed to the next or 
across, and is thus kept constantly falling without 



24 



HOW TO 




alighting. Have the circle small enough, and take 
good care of the faller. 

Balance on Elbows — Take 
position shown in Fig. 9, but 
with the hands flat on the mat 
and the arms inside the knees. 
Lean forward, bend the arms and 
place the elbows on the under 
side of the thighs. Tip yourself into the bal- 
ance by a slight push from the toes (Fig. 40). Try 
to pick a toothpick from the mat with the teeth. 



Head Circle— (Fig. 41). A 
stands with his left foot well in ad- 
vance of the right. B runs for- 
ward, places his right foot on A's 
thigh, takes hold of his right hand 
with his left, and makes a half 
turn to the mat, bringing his free 
leg well above A's head. A assists 
by holding B's leg with his left 
hand. 




Combinations — Hold toes and jump over a line 
backward; roll backward to position 4; horizontal 
upward jump, with hand clapping; roll forward to 
position 11; balance on elbows (Fig. 40); put the 
forehead on the mat, and push up to head stand; 
roll forward to stand. 



HOW TO 



25 



Raise one leg and roll forward to position 36; 
sit and rise; roll backward with shears to stand 

Hand stand; roll forward with shears; grasp 
the toes and roll backward to stand. 

Head circle ; after B alights, he makes a short 
dive and rolls forward to squattiug position, while 
A rolls forward with shears; they lock arms and do 
the twins' promenade; both roll forward to stand. 




Pyramid— (Fig. 42). Place 
the hands on the shoulders and 
the knees on the hips of the 
boy beneath. The top boy gets 
up by putting one foot on the 
hips of the lowest and grasp- 
ing the shoulders of the 
second. 



42 



Baste the 
Bear — Draw a 
ring about five 
feet in diameter 
on the ground. 
Draw lots to see 
who will first be 
bear. The bear 
selects a keeper, 
who holds him by a rope about four feet long. The 
bear must stay in the ring; but the keeper may go 




26 HOW TO 

as far as lie can without letting go of the rope, or 
dragging the bear over the line. The other players 
tie knots in their handkerchiefs and begin to strike, 
or u baste," the bear by running close to or into the 
ring. If the keeper touches any of the boys while 
they are thus enjoying themselves, without drag- 
ging any part of the bear out of the ring, or should 
the bear catch hold of any player's leg so as to hold 
him fast, the player so touched or caught becomes 
bear. The second bear selects his own keeper also. 



HOW TO 



27 



VI 

Hand Spring — Take three or 
four running steps, then hop once 
on the spot with the forward foot, 
while you swing the rear foot for- 
ward and a little upward, and raise 
the arms forward-upward to the 
height of the face (Fig. 44). Bend 
forward from the waist as suddenly 
and as vigorously as possible. Put 
the raised foot down and bend the 
knee a little, 
on the mat about 
front of the f or- 




arms being near- 
bef ore the hands 
the rear leg is 
upward, and im- 
the hands touch, 
is also thrown 





46 



Place the hands 
twelve inches in 
ward foot, the 
ly straight. Just 
i'^ach the mat, 
swung swiftly 
mediately after 
the forward leg 
(Fig. 45). Just 
after the legs pass above the 
head, and before you can rec- 
ognize the sensation of being 
overbalanced, push strongly 
with both hands, swing the 
arms downward toward the 
sides, and throw the head for- 
ward toward the chest. You 



45 



28 HOW TO 

should land standing nearly erect. As first attempts 
frequently land you on your back, it is well to have 
assistance until you have learned to combine the 
various movements involved. If you cannot get a 
big roll of soft material, take a boy and use him as 
shown in Fig. 46. The boy who assists should 
brace himself firmly and have his back raised up- 
ward. He can further aid by giving a slight push 
upward when you are nearly over. 

Hump Walk— Keep the legs 
straight, bend forward from the waist, 
and place the hands on the floor as 
close to the feet as possible (Fig. 47). 
Move the hands alternately forward 
until you are in position 4. Without 
moving the hands, bring the feet 
alternately forward to position 47. Do not bend 
the knees at any time. 

Head Spring — The preliminary directions are 
the same as for the hand spring, but when the hands 
go down, the arms should be bent and the fore part 
of the head placed on the mat, as in Fig. 18, being 
careful to avoid a hard bump. The legs are thrown, 
and the finish is the same as in the hand spring, 
but a strong push is given with the head as well as 
with the hands. Too much emphasis cannot be 
laid upon throwing the feet as high as possible, and 
doing everything with lots of snap. Assistance 




HOW TO 



29 





48 



can ba given in this also by having the roll smaller, 
or by having the boy get closer to the mat by 
bending his arms and spreading his legs. 

Touch Knee, Rise and Hop — 

Raise one leg behind. Grasp instep 

with hand of corresponding side. 

Raise the opposite arm to a hori- 
zontal position 
(Fig. 48); lean 
forward a little, 
andplace the knee 
of the held foot 
on the floor (Fig. 
49). Rise without releasing the 
grasp. Hop and repeat. You 
forward as you try to rise. The 

arm may be in any position, but this is the easiest. 

See if you can touch knee, rise and hop six times 

in succession without releasing your grasp. 

Elephant Walk and Jump — Take position 
47, with the hands flat on the mat. Lift the right 
arm and the right leg as high as possible, and move 
them forward without bending elbow or knee. Do 
the same with the left arm and leg. Move with a 
slow and dignified pace across the mat. Next move 
as rapidly as possible in this way. 

Keep the arms and legs as straight as possible, 
and spring forward so that both feet and both 



49 

must lean well 



30 HOW TO 

hands are off the mat at the same time. Keep in 
position 47. 

Walk On the Hands— Swing the legs up to 
hand stand position, but drop the feet over a little 
too far to hold the balance; then move the hands 
alternately forward. You must keep overbalanced 
in order to continue walking. Both the hand 
stand and this movement are frequently and more 
easily done with bent knees, but you should try 
from the first to do both with straight legs and 
with toes pointed toward the ceiling. 

Waik Off— A does a hand 
stand and opens his legs. B 
turns his back to the front part 
of A's body, puts his arms on 
top of A's calves, and his hands 
on his ankles. B bears down 
hard. A lifts his hands from 
the floor, and leans back, while 
50 B carries him around (Fig. 50). 

To finish, A straightens up more and slips down 

to the floor. 

Teacher — The players stand in a line. One, 
chosen for teacher, takes a soft ball, or bean bag, 
steps a few paces in advance, and tosses it to the 
player on the right of the line, who returns it to 
the teacher, and so on down the line. If the 
teacher muffs the ball, he goes to the foot of the 




HOW TO 



81 



line, and the one at the head takes his place. If a 
player muffs, he goes ten paces, or more, in front 
of the line, bends forward, and allows each of the 
others to take a shot at him with the bail. If one 
fails to hit, he takes the victim's place. Throwing 
is continued until all have had one turn, then the 
teacher resumes the lesson. 





51 

Lean well 



52 



Step Over One Foot— Put the 
sole of one foot against a wall 

about the height of 

the knee (Fig. 51). 

Step over the leg 

with the other foot, 

making a half turn, 

and keeping the foot 

in place (Fig. 52). 

forward, and as you turn push 

backward. This will keep the 
foot against the wall until the free foot touches 
the floor. 

Combinations — Dive; roll forward; touch 

knee, rise and hop. 

Hand spring over a boy; elephant walk, run, 
or jump; roll forward. 

Walk on the hands; roll forward; walk on the 
knees; sit on the heels and jump forward to stand. 

Head stand; roll forward; hump walk to position 
4; jump between the hands; roll backward to stand. 



32 



HOW f0 



Pyramid — (Fig. 53) 

Two boys stand side by side, 
and place the near hands on 
each other's shoulders. Two 
others do the same thing, 
standing directly behind the 
first two, and place the out- 
side hands on the shoulders of 
the boys in front. One of the 
rear boys makes a step by 
bending one knee, on which 
another boy climbs to rest his 
knees on the arms of the rear 
53 two, and his hands on the 

arms of the two in front. Another boy climbs up 
to seat astride the kneeling boy's back, or he takes 
this position from standing on the shoulders of 
someone else. The boys in the figure have their 
arms at their side, but this is not so safe when this 
pyramid goes traveling around the room. 




HOW TO 



33 




VII 

Stand On Shoulders— The 

boy who is to do the supporting 

should be quite a little heavier, 

or a good deal stronger than the 

other. Stand side by side and 

grasp hands. Make a slight 

turn inward. The strong boy 

should spread his legs well, then 

raise his distant arm above his 

head, while the other puts his 

distant foot on the near thigh (Fig. 54). The 

strong boy then leans away from the other, and 

gives a pull with his uppermost arm, while the 

other boy springs from the foot that is on the mat 

and places it on the other's farther shoulder (Fig. 
55). He then puts his other foot 
on the vacant shoulder. The boy 
on the mat must keep his head 
well up and strongly set, and the 
other must have his toes turned 
out as much as possible, and press 
strongly against the former's head 
with his shins. The boy on the 
mat releases first one hand and 
then the other, and places them 
behind the other's legs as high up 
55 as he can conveniently reach, 




34 



HOW TO 



while the boy on his shoulders straight- 
ens up (Fig. 56). Bend the knees and 
jump forward to get down. 

Roll to Head and Hand Stand — 

Sit on the heels and roll over backward 
as far as the shoulders; then, instead of 
going on over, straighten the legs to- 
ward the ceiling, put the hands down a 
good distance in front of the face, and 
come to the head stand. 

To reach the hand stand from the 

back roll, kick straight at the ceiling 

5S vigorously, just as the hands touch the 

mat in the ordinary back roll, aud immediately 

straighten the arms. You will find this an easy 

way to reach the position. 

Roll Over Boy — Have one 
boy with a broad back face the 
mat, bend his knees a trifle, and 
place his hands on the floor about 
two feet in front of his toes. Roll 
over him. As you grow more 
skillful in rolling, the boy who is 
down should place his hands half- 
way between his ankles and knees, 
and later on the thighs, a little 
above the knees (Fig. 57). He 
should assist a little just as you are 




HOW TO 



o5 



about to leave his back by pushing upward; but he 
must be careful not to throw too hard, or the roller 
will land face downward on the mat. 

Low Down Walk and Jump — 

With heels raised and arms outside the 
knees, grasp the legs a little above the 
ankles (Fig. 58); move the feet alter- 
nately forward for the walk. Spring 
forward from both feet for the jump. 
For a variation, maintain the position of 
the legs, but swing the arms sideward- 
upward as you jump, and cackle like a 
frightened hen. 




58 



The Little 

Have the heels 
lengths apart. 
Have the arms 



Crab's Walk- 
about two foot- 
Bend the knees, 
inside the knees, 




and place the hands on the floor as 

far back as possible, without losing 59 

the balance (Fig. 59). Support a 

good share of the weight on the hands. Move the 

right foot and the right hand together backward; 

do likewise with the left. How far can you go 

without falling? 

Jump — Run, spring from both feet, and raise 
the legs forward until they are horizontal, and 
touch the toes with the fingers, having the knees 
straight. 



36 



HOW TO 



End Over End — One boy 
lies on his back on the mat, 
and makes himself stiff from 
his head to his heels. Another 
places his hands under his 
neck, and lifts him to an up- 
right position (Fig. 60); then 
goes around in front and lowers him gently to the 
mat. The same movement is now done, beginning 
with the feet. 




60 



Pyramid— (Fig. 61). Mount 
as in standing on the shoulders. 
The upper boy then puts most of 
his weight on one foot and extends 
the other to rest on his supporter's 
hand, as shown. Lean forward and 
jump. 

Combinations — Wheelbarrow 
(Fig. 5). The boy with his hands 
on the mat (A), rolls forward, as- 
sisted by a slight push from B, and 
comes to a stand with his hands on 
his knees; B runs and rolls over as 
in Fig. 57. A rolls backward and 
B rolls forward to stand. 

Head Circle (Fig. 41). ' B (the boy doing the 
circle), rolls forward to position 38 as his feet 
touch the mat; A runs and straddles over (leap 




HOW TO Bl 

frog), and immediately rolls forward to stand, with 
hands on his knees; B runs and rolls over as in 57. 

Head stand; roll forward; low down walk and 
jump (Fig. 58); dive and roll forward. 

Two boys start from opposite ends of the mat, 
and each does a hand spring; roll forward with 
shears; lock arms and do twins' promenade; roll 
forward 

tender Green — A circle large enough to ac- 
commodate all of the players is drawn on the floor. 
One then -goes into the circle as the "it." He must 
clasp his hands and go out and attempt to tag one 
of the others with his hands in this position. If 
he succeeds, the others immediately give chase, and 
slap them as often as possible until they reach the 




62 

goal. It is not allowed to hit anyone in the head 
or to kick. The two players then join hands and 
go out after another prisoner. If the two happen 
to loose their grasp while running,. the others have 
the right to drive them back to their goal as if 
they had captured a prisoner. This is continued 



38 HOW TO 

until all are caught, the end players only having 
the right to tag. It is allowable to break through 
the line (Fig. 62). The first one tagged is "it" 
for the new game. 

Cock Fight — Two boys cross their arms over 
their chests, and squat down opposite each other. 
They endeavor to knock each other over by using 
the elbows and shoulders. It is not allowed to 
straighten up from the squatting position. 

Half Lever — Sit on a chair and take hold of 
the seat. Raise the legs and hold them in a hori- 
zontal position, with no part of the body touching 
the chair but the hands. 



HOW TO 



39 



YIII 

Snap Up — There are two start- 
ing positions for this exercise of 
about the same degree of difficulty; 
if you fail with one, try the other, 
but do not be discouraged if you 
try a hundred times before you get 
it. The movement is easy, but it requires a little 



K 




63 



training to make 
parts of the body 
just the right 
just the right 
From posi- 
ward to either 
63 (be careful 




the different 
work together in 
order and with 
amount of force, 
tion 9 roll back- 
position 10 or 
so far that you 



not to go 

feel like going entirely over backward). As the 
legs start to swing forward, throw them vigorously 
upward and forward, and push hard with the hands, 
if they are on the thighs, as in Fig. 63, half-way 
between the knee and the hip joint. Immediately 
push hard with the shoulders (Fig. 64), and head 
(Fig. 65). It is not necessary to 
keep the hands on the thighs after 
the push. If the starting position 
is with the hands on the mat, they 
push off just as the head leaves. If 
the legs have gone high enough 
and you have put sufficient impetus 




65 



40 



HOW TO 




into your snap, you will land as in Fig. 
66. By keeping the legs straight and 
throwing them still higher than is shown 
in the figure, you may land standing 
erect. 



Leg Circles — From position 4 swing the right 
leg forward, under the right hand and back to the 
starting position. 

Swing both legs toward the right hand. Pick 
up the right hand and rest on the left hip. Swing 
the legs further and turn onto the right hip, re- 
placing the right hand and picking up the left hand 
to allow the legs to pass. Swing them back to the 
starting position. The head should not be turned 
at any time. 



Jump Over One Leg — Take 
the toe of one shoe in the hand of 
the opposite side (Fig. 67). Jump 
over by bringing the knee as close 
to the chest as possible, and keep- 
ing the held foot down low (Fig. 
68). Keep tight hold. 




Chew the String — Wrap two sticks of candy 
separately in tissue paper, and tie six yards of 
thread to each. Two boys each take a string, and the 
candy is placed on the floor eighteen feet away. 
At a signal, the boys put the string in their mouths 



HOW TO 



41 



and chew it. The boy getting. the candy to his 
mouth first is entitled to the other's piece as well 
as his own. The hands may be tied behind the 
back if it is feared that the boys will become 
unduly eager. 

Vault, Leg Circle Over Head 

—Two boys stand facing in oppo- 
site directions, and about two feet 
apart. Another runs, springs, after 
placing a hand on the shoulders of 
each of the two, and throws one leg 
sideward over the head of one (Fig. 
69), bringing it back close to its fel- 
low before he alights. 




69 




Low Down Dance — Raise the 
heels, bend the knees as much as 
much as possible, extend one leg 
until it is straight, and rest the 
heel of that foot on the 
floor, as shown by Fig. 
70. With an upward 
swing of the arms and a 
' jump, change the posi- 

tion of the legs — alternately extended and bent, as 
in the figure. 

Lip Stretch— Take position 30, but do not 
grasp the insteps. Place a pencil on tlje floor about 



42 



HOW TO 



three feet in front of you. Without using the 
hands, lean forward and pick it up with the lips. 
Try various distances. 




71 

Pyramid— (Fig. 71). Six boys take part. 
To sit on the shoulders, one boy stands in front 
of another and spreads his legs. The one behind 
puts his head between the spread legs and straight- 
ens up. The middle boy raises his load as in posi- 
tions 54, 55 and 56. Come into the group siiown 
by Fig. 71. 



Circle Race — The players form a circle with- 
out joining hands. The "'it' 1 runs around the out- 
side of the circle and tags someone. This player 
mast run in the direction opposite to that taken by 



HOW TO 43 

"it.'' They race to see who gets to the vacant 
space first. If "it" beats, the one who was tagged 
becomes "it," but if the tagged player beats, "it" 
must try someone else, and so on. 

Combinations — Vault, leg circle over head 
(Fig. 69); as the lad who is jumping alights, he 
dives as far as he can, and rolls over forward with 
shears; as his hands leave their shoulders, the other 
boys roll forward with shears, and immediately roll 
toward each other with shears again, and come to 
their original position in time for the other lad to 
vault as before, he having straightened up and 
started to run as soon as he finished his roll with 
shears. 

Grasp the toe of one shoe and jump over 
(Figs. 67 and 68); hold onto the toe and roll for- 
ward; repeat; finish by putting both hands to the 
floor and rolling forward to stand. 

Jump over one leg as before; sit on the mat, 
cross the legs, grasp the toes of both feet, and roll 
forward; walk on the knees, with the insteps 
crossed; roll forward. 



44 



HOW TO 



J^ 




IX 

Cartwheel — Stand with the 
side toward the mat, raise the 
arms straight above the head, 
and have the palms of the 
hands facing each other. Bend 
slightly to one side, and then, 
with the greatest rapidity, bend to the opposite side 
and throw the legs sideward straight over the head, 
placing the nearest hand on the mat about twelve 
inches from the foot (Figs. 72 and 73). The other 
hand is placed down at an easy reach, straight in 
front of the starting point (Fig. 74). The legs 
describe a semi-circle in the air, the first foot touch- 
ing the floor soon after the first hand is raised (Fig. 
75), and the continuation of the movement lands 
you in the standing position. Keep both arms and 
legs straight. The separate 
parts of the movement should 
come in regular 1, 2, 3, 4 
order. You may, if you wish ; 
start facing the mat, with the 
hands held in front of the 
middle of the body, palms 
of the hands facing each 
other and about two feet 
apart, but you must turn 
73 your side to the mat as the 




HOW TO 



45 





legs start up. Draw a straight line, 
or select a crack in the floor to follow, 
in order to make sure that you are 
going straight. After a good 
deal of practice in turning cartwheels 

in a straight line, 

try turning them 

around a circle. In 

doing this, you may 

find it necessary to 

make a jump from one foot after 

each turn. 

Stooping Push — Toe a line with the feet well 
spread. Reach behind the heels, take a book, and 
see how far forward you can push it (keeping both 
hands together), without losing your balance. 

Snap Up Variations— Fold the arms across 
the chest and, snap up. This requires a more vigor- 
ous throw of the legs and a harder push from the 
head and shoulders than when the hands are used. 

Start to do a forward roll, but pause an instant 
when the shoulders touch the mat, then snap up. 
Bend forward and repeat. Do three or four in suc- 
cession. 

Do a hand stand; bend the arms slowly until 
the head touches the mat, and drop the leg back- 
ward to position 20. As the shoulders touch the 
mat, snap up. Do the same from a head stand. 



46 



HOW i?o 




76 



Splits — Sit on 

the floor and see if 
you can move the 
legs sidewards until 
they form right an- 
gles with the trunk 
(Fig. 76). From the 
standing position move one leg forward aud the 
other backward until the thighs rest on the floor 
(Fig. 77). Either sit erect or bend forward. Be 

very careful in trying 
this exercise. Go 
slowly, and do not 
allow anyone to touch 
you. 

Chair Circle — Lie on three chairs. Stiffen the 
body from head to heels, pick the middle chair up, 
lift it across the body and replace it from the oppo- 
site side. 




Elbow Rock — Two boys 
stand back to back and lock 
elbows. Raise each other alter, 
nately from the floor. Finish 
by releasing the grasp and both 
rolling forward. 

Heel and Toe — Have the 

heels together and the toes 




78 



HOW TO 



47 



pointed outward. Raise the right toes and the 
left heel; turn the left heel outward and the 
light toes inward. Raise the right heel and the left 
toes; move the right heel inward and the left toes 
outward, and so on. 

Pyramid— (Fig. 79). The 
lower men take their positions 
as described for Fig. 50. The 
top man either climbs up, or 
takes his position from stand- 
ing on the shoulders of a 
fourth 




Combinations — Roll 
backward to stand; elephant 
walk; grasp ankles (Fig. 15), 
and roll forward. 

Roll backward to stand; 
79 little crab's walk; jump back- 

ward on shoulders; roll forward to stand. 
Hand spring; roll forward; snap up. 
Hand spring; head spring; snap up; roll over. 
Balance on elbows; head stand; roll forward 
and snap up. 

End over end (Fig. 60). As A (the boy who 
is stiff), reaches the upright position, B remains 
behind, and A does the forward fall (Fig. 32); B 
takes hold of his ankles, and th&y do the wheel- 
barrow, finishing by A rolling forward with snap 
up, and B rolling backward to stand. 



( 



48 



HOW TO 



Cat and Mouse— All the players but two join 
hands and form a circle. The cat is to pursue and 
catch the mouse, and in so doing must follow the 
exact route taken by the mouse, who, in order to 
escape capture, runs sometimes inside the circle and 
sometimes outside, as rapidly and irregularly as 
possible. If the cat should not follow the exact 




route taken by the mouse, the players cry "halt," 
when the foiled mouser must change places with 
someone in the ring. If the cat succeeds in fol- 
lowing the mouse accurately, and gets near enough 
to slap it on the back, the mouse goes into the ring, 
the successful cat becomes a mouse, and a new cat 
comes out of the ring. 



HOW TO 



40 



X 

Snap Down — Throw the legs up 

to the hand stand (Fig. 81), lean 

forward from the shoulders, bring 

the legs down by a strong pull from 
the abdominal 
muscles, keep- 
ing the knees 
straight, and 
push up from 81 

both hands (Fig. 82). 
82 Throw the head up and 

land with the feet where the hands have been, or 

some distance in advance. 





Chair Tricks — To lift a chair by the rung, 
take hold with the palm up. Slide the chair a little 
way from you,, then pull it quickly toward you, 
bearing down on the rung so as to raise the legs 
farthest from you a little, then lift and hold it 
horizontally at arm's length. 

To turn over in a chair, stand behind and lean 
forward over the back. Take hold of the seat with 
both hands. Put the back of the head down and 
allow the legs to drag over the back of the chair* 
Slip the hands up the chair, draw the back slowly 
up and the legs slowly down until you are in the 
usual sitting posture. 



50 



HOW TO 




Cradle Rock — Two boys sit on the mat, facing 
each other, and catch hold of each other's arms 
near the shoulders. One boy's legs are on top of 
the other's (Fig. 83), A drops backward onto his 
shoulders, wrapping his 
legs about B's back as he 
falls, while B draws his 
feet in and stands with 
bent knees over A (Fig. 
84). B then sits on A's 
haunches, and drops back- 
ward onto his shoulders, while A 
assumes the position just held by 
B. This is repeated several 
times; then just as A's shoul- 
ders touch the mat, B releases 
his grasp, dives about three feet 
beyond A's head and rolls over 
forward, while A rolls over back- 
ward. This can be varied by maintaining the 
grasp and rolling together several times. 

Bull in the Ring— The players join hands and 
form a circle, with one player on the inside, who is 
"bull." It is his part to make a rush, break 
through the ring and escape, and the part of the 
boys who form the ring to hold their hands so fast 
together that he cannot break their hold. When 
the bull breaks through the ring, he is pursued 
until captured, and the boy who seizes him first is 




84 



HOW TO 



51 



bull. A good bull will lead the others a merry 
chase, and if he gets back and touches some mark 
agreed upon, he is bull again. 

Balance, Knee and Hand in Hand — A lies on 
his back, with his heels drawn up against his hips, 

and raises both arms. 
B stands on A's knees 
and takes hold of his 
hands. He then leans 
forward, picks up one 
hand, puts a knee 
down in place of 
it, and extends the 
free arm and the free 
leg to a horizontal position (Fig. 85). 




85 



Dives — Have a ring held 
waist high and dive through. 
Break your fall by bending 
the arms slowly and touching 
the back of the head first. If 
you alight on your shoulders, 
you will be severely jarred. In- 
crease the height and distance. 
Instead of a ring, have two 
take hold of hands and impro- 
vise a ring (Fig. 86). Have several couples stand 
in line, just far enough apart to enable you to roll 
close to stand and dive again. 





52 HOW TO 

Hand Wrestle — Two boys 
clasp hands and place their 
right feet against each other. 
Then, by bending, pushing, pull- 
ing, each tries to make the other 
move one or both feet from its 
place (Fig. 87). The free 
hand must not be used. 

Turn the Bars — Form a line by all joining 
hands. The end boys run to the centre, drawing 
the others with them, pass under the uplifted hands 
of the two there, and return to their former posi- 
tions. Each succeeding time they run under the 
arms of the pair nearest to their respective ends 
from the centre, until all are passed under, and all 
stand with arms crossed. Kelease the grasps, and 
race an agreed distance to see who will be ends next. 

Combinations — Snap up; roll forward with 
shears; roll backward to hand stand, and snap down. 

Fall forward; leg circles on the mat to posi- 
tion 4; jump between the hands; roll backward to 
hand stand, and snap down. 

Two boys start from opposite ends of the mat, 
and each does a hand spring; roll forward; cradle 
rock; finish with one doing the dive and the other 
the back roll to hand stand, and snap down. 

Take position 79; the top boy steps off for- 
ward and rolls over twice, the second time with 



HOW TO 



53 



shears; the others straighten until the feet of both 
rest on the floor, and then roll forward once with 
shears; roll toward each other with shears again, 
and take positions in time for the other boy to 
vault as in Fig. 69; he takes two or three steps for- 
ward and stops; the others run to him and lift him 
as in Fig. 24; upon letting him down, all three roll 
backward to hand stand and snap down. 

Pyramid — (Fig. 88). 
Three boys stand side by side, 
and put the near arms on one 
another's shoulders. Three 
others do the same and stand 
directly behind the first three, 
the outside boys putting their 
free hands on the shoulders 
of those in front. Two others 
mount, kneel on the arms of 
those behind, and place their 
hands on the arms of those in 
front, dividing their weight as 
equally as possible. Another 
stands on the backs of the two, taking his position 
from standing on the shoulders of someone else. 
If great care is exercised, the pyramid may go 
travelling. 




Sj 



54 



HOW TO 



XI 



Double Elephant Walk — Two 

boys stand facing each other, and 
take hold of each others arms near 
the shoulders, or one places his hands 
on the shoulders and the other his on 
the waist. It having been agreed 
who is to do the supporting, the other 
springs up aud crosses his ankles be- 
hind the supporter's back (Fig. 89). 
Call the boy who is standing in that 
figure A and the other B. A moves his legs so 




89 



that they are 
apart, while B 
grasp of his 
backward, sup- 
til his hands 
A then lets go 
forward, while 
tween A's legs 




about three feet 
release s the 
hands and bends 
ported by A un- 
touch the floor, 
of B, and leans 
B crawls be- 
(Fig. 90). As 



soon as A's hands touch the floor, B places his 
hands on A's ankles and straight- 
ens his arms (Fig. 91). If A is 
very strong, a small boy can sit 
astride his hips and catch hold 
of B's feet. Return to starting 
position by having A stand and 
B crawl back from between his 




HOW TO 



55 




legs, and be assisted to position 89, or have B un- 
couple his ankles and both roll forward. 

Jump — Hold a stick about three feet 
long horizontally in front and jump over 
it. Lock the fingers of both hands to- 
gether and do the same (Fig. 92). 

Handstands — One-arm hand 
stand — Get a balance; then gradually 
move the legs toward the side on which 
you are to stand, and slowly raise one hand. 

Vertical hand stand — The ears are to be di- 
rectly opposite the arms, the back is straight and 
the feet are directly above the head. Both of these 
hand stands are extremely difficult to hold. 

Head Stand — A advances one 
foot, leans forward and puts his 
arms underneath the knee. B puts 
his hands on A's hips and does a 
head stand. He either drops back 
to his starting point, rolls over, or 
does a head spring over. If the 
last is to be done, have someone 
take hold of B's collar with one 
hand and put the other hand on his chest, (Fig. 93). 

Head Spring from Head Stand — Do a head 
stand, then let the legs drop back to position 20. 
Instead of rolling forward from this position, throw 




56 



HOW TO 




the legs strongly forward and as high as possible, 
and just as they begin to descend, push strongly 
from the hands. You will alight in something 
like position 66. 



Balance, Knees in Hands— 
A lies on his back with his 
heels against his hips and 
raises his arms. B stands on A's 
knees, places his hands in A's» 
and leans forward, putting 
first one knee and then the other 
in place of his hands, and 
straightens up (Fig. 94). 



Arro, Leg and Lips — 
Take position 4, then turn 
over onto one side (Fig. 95) 
Have something placed 
near the hand that is on 
the floor. Bend the elbow, 
and turn the face so as to pick it up with the lips, 
without losing your balance or touching the floor 
with aught but the side of the foot and one hand. 

Long Reach — Toe a mark, bend the knees and 
lean forward to rest on one hand with the aria 
straight. See how far in front you can make a 
mark "with a pencil in free hand, and return to the 
standing position, without advancing beyond the 




95 



HOW TO 



57 



line, losing the balance, or assisting yourself with 
the marking hand. 



Pyramid — (Fig. 
96). Four boys take 
position 50, and the 
two couples come near 
enough to each other 
to allow a fifth boy 
to take his stand on 
the hips of the sup- 
porters. The upper 
boys hold him by his 
belt. Still another 
boy does a hand stand in the open space, and is 
supported by number five taking hold of his ankles. 




Combinations — Balance on the elbows; head 
stand; head spring from head stand; dive and roll. 

Hand stand; snap down; roll backward with 
shears; roll forward with snap up. 

Take position 60; when the boy who is being 
lifted reaches a vertical position, he should fall for- 
ward, roll over and, as he comes to his feet, throw 
his legs up to hand stand; the other boy now takes 
him as in Fig. 50, and walks around; then both 
stand back to back, lock arms, and do the twins' 
promenade (Fig. 22). 



58 



HOW TO 



Battle With Balls— The players divide into 
camps of equal numbers, each one being supplied 
with two or three tennis balls. The limits of each 
camp are to be plainly marked. A player of one 
side is not allowed to enter the camp of the oppo- 
site team, nor to pick up a ball which lies within 




the boundary of that camp, but he may go as 
close to the line as he wishes. It is not allowed to 
throw a ball at the head or face. All the maneu- 
vers of strategy and open attack are to be tried. 
The camps should be far enough apart to give zest 
to the fight. Play continues until one side 
had enough, 



flow to 



59 




98 



XII 

Hand Stand Roll — Two 

boys are to stand so that one is 
directly behind the other. Call 
the one in front A and the other 
B. A is to have his heels to- 
gether. B puts his hands on the 
mat close to A's heels and throws 
his legs up to hand stand posi- 
sition. As they are coming up, 
A turns his head so as to see 
and grasp the ankles, which he separates and pulls 
down over his shoulders. He then advances one 
foot a little, leans forward (Fig. 98), and pulls 
hard, while B swings his 
hands and head forward. A 
continues to bend forward un- 
til he places B's feet on the 
mat (Fig. 99). The move- 
ment is then repeated with A 
behind and B in front. Travel 
across the mat in this way. 
The boy in front must be very 
careful not to bend forward too fast, or he will 
throw the other flat on his face. As you become 
somewhat accustomed to the movement, the speed 
can be increased without danger by having the boy 
doing the hand stand keep his head well back as 
his body comes forward. 





60 HOW TO 

Double Dive — Two boys 
face each other about three feet 
apart. A leans forward and 
and rolls toward B, keeping his 
legs well back and spread as far 
as possible. Before A's legs be- 
100 gin to descend, B leans forward 

and dives between them (Fig. 100), landing a foot 
or more beyond A's head. Both roll to stand, make 
a half turn on the spot and repeat, B rolling and A 
diving. The boy who dives must go high enough 
to make allowance for the head of the other rising 
quite a little. Be especially careful on this point, 
or one will get a bad hurt. 

Jump Little Nag-Tail— There should be six 
or eight on a side. The leader of one side stands 
upright against a wall, on which he places his 
hands. The rest stand one behind the other, with 
arms about the waist of the next in front. One of 
the other side then runs, places his hands on the 
back of the "nag' 1 nearest him, and endeavors to 
spring onto the back of the foremost. He is fol- 
lowed by all the others. If there should not be 
room for all to get on ; owing to the first boy not 
jumping far enough, the sides then change, the 
nags becoming riders and the riders nags. If any 
of the nags in trying to support the weight touch 
the ground with either their hands or knees, play 
is resumed without changing sides. If all the 



HOW TO 



61 



riders get into place and keep their positions while 
the leader counts twenty, sides are not changed, but 
if any fall off during the count, sides are changed. 
The nags should raise their backs upward, and the 
riders should give warning before every jump. 

Forward Fall, Two High — One boy stands on 
another's shoulders. They both try to keep a 
straight line from the head of the upper to the 
heels of the lower boy, and lean forward as far as 
possible without tumbling over (Fig. 101). Just 




101 102 

as they are about to fall flat, the upper boy steps to 
the ground (Fig. 102), and both immediately bend 
forward and roll over. The upper boy must not 
push back as he leaves the other's shoulders. 

One-Hand Hand Spring —Take a short run; 
put one hand down in line with same side of the body; 



62 



HOW TO 



throw the legs as high and as hard as possible, and 
push off with the hand as they begin to descend. 
Be careful about placing the hand in line with its 
own side of the body; if you place it in front of 
the middle, you run the risk of getting an injury 
to your elbow. 

Hand Stand On the Knees, 
Standing — A spreads his legs and 
bends his knees a little. B, either 
with or without a short run, places 
his hands on A's knees, throws his 
legs up to hand stand position, and 
is caught by the belt, or hips, and 
held by A, who leans back enough 
to balance both. 

Hand Spring With Feet To- 
gether — Bend forward very quickly 
and jump hard. This requires a stronger push from 
the arms than the usual method. 

Hop and Hand Spring — Hop and do a hand 
spring with both hands; then with one hand. 

Jumping Handspring — Take a good run; jump 
from both feet and throw the legs very high, and 
as you jump, throw the hands down quickly. If 
you have jumped well, you will do little more than 
touch the fingers to the mat. The hands do not 
touch until after the feet are in the air. 




103 



HOW TO 



68 



Twist Under a Wand- 
Take a stick three or four feet 
long and put one end against 
the ground, so that it will not 
slip. Place one hand about a 
foot above the ground, and 
the other at the opposite end 
of the stick (Fig. 104). Bend 
and turn 




104 




105 



so that the head 
comes beneath the lower hand 
(Figs. 105, 106), and back to 
the starting position without 
losing your balance. Keep in 
line with the stick as you 
turn. 




106 



Combinations — Hand 
stand roll several times, 
then one boy rolls forward, 
rises and places his hands 
on his thighs for the other 
to roll over, as in Fig. 57. 

Snap up; roll forward with shears; little 
crab's walk (Fig. 59); roll backward to hand stand, 
and snap down. 

Double elephant walk; roll forward; make a 
half turn, step toward each other and stand on the 
shoulders; fall forward and roll. 

Hand spring; head spring; snap up; roll over. 



64 HOW TO 

Toe Wrestling— Two boys face each other, 
fold their arms and hop. By a side movement of 
the leg, each wrestler tries to make his opponent 
put his raised foot down. 




107 

Pyramid— (Fig. 107). Nine boys take part. 
The two sitting on the shoulders are first raised to 
their positions. The boy standing on the arms of 
their supporters then mounts, one of the two stand- 
ing on the mat making a step for him by bending 
one knee. The outside boys then kneel and the 
last two step up. Each couple takes hold with 
the hands, as shown, immediately upon taking 
their positions. 



HOW TO 



65 



XIII 

Double Roll — A lies flat on 
his back. B stands with a foot 
on each side of A's head, facing 
toward his feet. A raises his 
legs so that B can grasp his 
ankles, and at the same time he 
grasps B's ankles (Fig. 108). A 
must now make his legs per- 
fectly limber in B's hands. B 
leans forward and puts A's feet 
on the floor close to his hips, and as they touch the 

a slight jump 
and rolls for- 
110), bending 
iy, so that 
of his head 
mat,itiswith- 
jar. As Broils 
arises and re- 




108 




109 



floor, he gives 

(Pig. 109), 

ward (Fig. 

his arms slow- 
when the back 

touches the 

out a severe 

forward, A 

peats the movements which B has just done. Be 
<sure to let the back of your 
head touch the mat first in 
the roll. In order to go 
fast, have the boywho is 
down hold the upper boy 
back a little as he jumps 
forward to roll, and thus 





66 HOW TO 

avoid a shock. To roll backward from position 
108, B sits on his heels, leans backward, and pulls 
as hard as he can, while A pushes from his head 
and shoulders and straightens his arms. Fig. 109 
shows the position just as A has straightened his 
arms. Repeat the roll forward two or three times, 
and then roll backward to your starting point. 

Bucking Broncho — From 
the hand stand position bring the 
legs downward by a strong pull 
of the abdominal muscles, and 
push up from the Lands before 
the feet reach the floor. As the 
hands leave the mat, swing 1 1 1 

them backward past the sides, and alight leaning a 
trifle forward, with the arms well back past the 
sides of the legs. With a jump, swing the hands 
forward onto the mat and throw the legs up to 
hand stand position. This is repeated, and you 
progress backward each time the feet return to the 
floor. The exercise is a fast one. It is a variation 
of the snap down (Figs. 81 
and 82). A more realistic 
form of bucking is shown by 
Figs. Ill and 112. In this 
style, start by raising the 
hands to the front of the 
chest, with the palms turned 
forward ; lean forward and 




HOW TO 



67 



jump onto the hands, with the arms held nearly 
straight, and at the same time raise the knees to 
the chest (Fig. 111). Just before the hands touch 
the mat, kick the legs out to their fullest extent 
(Fig. 112), then bring the feet down and the hands 
back, as described for the previous style. 

Backward Fall — Lean back- 
ward, with the body straight from 
head to heels. Just before you 
reach the point where you must 
fall on your back (Fig. 113), bend 
sharply forward from the waist 
(Fig. 114), touching the calves of 
the legs, then the thighs, and you 
will come down without a jar. 

Potato Race — Eight or ten po- 
tatoes, stones, caps, or Indian clubs, 
are to be placed in line, each sepa- 
rated from the next by a distance 
of ten feet, more or less, as de- 
sired. A similar arrangement is 
made for each player. A recep- 
tacle is provided for each com- 
petitor at the starting line. The 
articles are to be picked up one at 
a time and placed in the recep- 
tacle. The one properly completing the task first, 
of course, wins. The players may pick up the 
articles in any order they choose. 




113 




114 




68 HOW TO 

Elbow Stand — Place the fore- 
arms on the mat, and throw the legs 
up to hand stand position. You must 
bend the back a good deal, and keep 
the chin raised high. 

Hop and Reach— From a start- 
115 ing line, with a pencil in one hand, 

hop once, reach forward and make a mark on the 
floor. Continue for four or five hops. You must 
recover your balance after each mark without touch- 
ing the raised foot or the free hand to the floor. If 
out of doors, put sticks into the ground, instead of 
making a mark. See who can beat. 

Combinations — Hand spring; roll forward 
with snap up; backward fall; roll backward to 
hand stand, and snap down. 

Cartwheel; hand stand; bucking broncho, either 
style. 

Two high, fall forward and roll to position 70; 
both do the low down dance; roll backward to 
the shoulders, and snap up. 

Pyramid — Have two boys face each other and 
grasp each other's arms close to the shoulder. One 
of them is to advance one leg and bend the knee a 
good deal. A third boy is to put one foot on the 
step thus formed, and climb so as to have both 
knees on the shoulders of one of the two, and both 



HOW TO 

hands on the shoulders of the 
other. The supporter then puts 
his heels together. In the 
meantime, two other boys have 
taken position 56 — that is, one 
is standing on the shoulders of 
the other. They now come 
close to the three, and the upper 
boy steps onto the one who is 
kneeling, placing one foot on his 
hips, and the other on his 
shoulders, and strikes an atti- 
tude for an instant. He then 
steps off sideward, and the one 
who i& kneeling pushes off back- 
ward. The attitude shown in 
the picture means "I am in a 
hurry to get down. 1 ' 




116 



The Beater Goes Round— (Fig. 117). The 
players form a circle, each one crossing his wrists 
behind his own back. One then goes round the 
outside of the circle with the beater (generally a 
knotted handkerchief); in his hand. The players 
must look straight ahead; anyone looking round 
receives a slap with the beater. As soon as the 
player who is "it' 1 sees fit, he places the beater in 
the hands of another player, and continues on his 
round as before, the one receiving the beater giving 
no sign for a minute or two. Suddenly he com- 



70 



HOW TO 



mences to beat his right hand neighbor, and chases 
him around the ring until he reaches his place. 
The one who was "it" first takes the place of the 
player to whom he gave the beater. Each player 
should carefully watch the faces and the gestures 




117 



of the one who is "it," and also of his companions, 
in order to tell who has the beater, and to escape 
the blows if his neighbor should chance to have it, 
or to avoid causing a laugh if he should become 
afraid and run without cause; but he must avoid 
turning his head or he will receive a blow. 



HOW TO 



71 



XIV 




118 



Pull Over the Back— Two 

boys stand back to back, witb 
the arms upstretched and clasp- 
ing hands. One of them has his 
heels together and the other has 
one foot a little advanced (Fig. 
118). Their heads are to drop 
back on each other's shoulders 
and they must agree in advance 
which is to pull and which side 
of the head each is to take. A is 
facing left in the figure, and is 
to pull. Both bend their knees 
a little, being especially careful to keep their shoul- 
ders and hips touching exactly as they were when 
standing upright. B gives a 
slight spring and lifts his knees 
as close to his chest as possible. 
A bends forward just a little as 
B springs, but does not pull un- 
til B has had time to get his 
his knees well up toward his 
chest. A then bends forward 
sharply and pulls hard (Fig. 
119). When the point shown 
this figure is reached, A 
119 straightens up, so that B can 




% m 



72 



HOW TO 



alight standing erect. In beginning, you should 
have someone assist B to get his knees up at the 
start by putting a hand under his thigh and lifting 
a little, and when he has reached position 119 put 
an arm across his chest just beneath the arms to 
prevent any possibility of his coming down on his 
knees or slipping off on his head. Both boys must 
keep a tight grasp. 

The Round Off 

— Face the mat and 
start to do a cart- 
wheel (Fig. 120). 
Bring the legs to- 
gether when they 
reach a point above 
your head, and as the 
hand first placed 




120 




down is leaving the mat, 
turn so as to face your 
starting point. Give a de- 
cided push with both 
hands, throw the head and 
shoulders up hard (Fig. 
121), and you will land 
standing nearly erect. 

Click the Heels — Spring up in the air and 

click the heels together twice before touching the 
floor again. For three times, click the heels, then 
the front part of the feet, and then the heels again. 



121 




HOW TO 73 

Hand Stand On the Back— 

A advances one foot and clasps his 
arms beneath the knee. B does a 
hand stand on A's back (Fig. 122), 
and either drops back to his start- 
ing position, turns off to one side, 
or turns forward and over. If he 
does the last named, he must give 
a good push with his hands as he 
becomes overbalanced, and be care- 
ful to keep his head back so as to 
avoid going over too far. Have assistance. 

Head Push — Toe a mark about three feet from 
a wall, first placing a stool in front of you. Lean 
forward, put the top of the head against the wall, 
and pick up the stool. Push yourself back to an 
erect position, using the head only. You can assist 
yourself by bending the knees, drawing the hips 
back and jerking the chair toward you as you push. 

Cow — Raise the right leg and scratch the left 
ear with the toes of the right foot. 

Head Spin — From the head stand move the 
hands around, supporting a good deal of the weight 
upon them, and make a half turn on the head. 
After you become somewhat familiar with turning, 
roll backward to head stand, make a half turn on 
the head quickly before you put your hands down, 
then roll forward. 



74 



HOW TO 



Head Spring With a Half Turn — Begin as 
for a head spring, but commence to turn the body as 
soon as the feet leave the mat, and as the head and 
hands are leaying, twist them sharply in the same 
direction. The legs must go high, and you should 
stand erect at the finish. 



Jump From the Shoulders — A 

and B stand close together, facing 
each other. A puts his hands on B's 
head and raises one foot. B takes 
hold of this leg half-way between the 
knee and the ankle. A springs, as- 
sisted by B, to kneel on B's shoulders, 
with his insteps resting on B's crossed 
arms, which are held on a level with 
his shoulders. A throws his hands up- 
ward and springs forward (Fig. 123), 
assisted by a slight lifting of B's shoulders. Have 
someone stand in front and put an arm across A's 
chest if he stumbles. 




123 



Fox in His Hole — Make a circle to represent 
the "hole." Someone is chosen to be the " fox' ' 
and everyone else runs at large. The fox comes 
out of his hole, crying, " The fox is out of his hole/' 
and hops around on one foot, having a knotted 
handkerchief in his hand, with which he tries to 
tag someone. If the fox stops hopping and goes 
about on two feet while out of his hole, all unite 




HOW TO 75 

to beat him back into it, using their knotted hand- 
kerchiefs for the purpose, and the fox has a hard 
time of it until he either hops again or runs back 
to his hole. If he tags one, that player is "it." 

Stand On Two Heads — 

Three boys take part. Two do 
hand stands, one beginning an 
instant before the other. The 
third boy catches an ankle or 
trousers leg of each as their 
legs come up. He then steps on 
their necks (Fig. 124), pushing 
back on the legs a little as he 
124 puts each foot down. The two 

must keep their necks and legs stiff. 

Hand Spring Prom the Knees — A takes the 
position held by him in Fig. 125. B takes a slight 
run, places his hands on A's knees, and throws his 
legs high and fast, straightening his arms as the 
legs rise. A has his hands in readiness to give a 
slight push against B's shoulders if his head drops 
too low. B should alight standing perfectly 
straight. 

Combinations — Round off; roll backward to 
hand stand, and snap down. 

Round off; roll back to position 4; jump be- 
tween the hands; snap up. 



76 



HOW TO 



Cartwheel; round off; sit on the heels, roll 
backward to position IB, and jump backward on 
the shoulders; snap up. 

Pull over the back; jump from the shoulders; 
both roll forward, and snap up. 

Shoulder Stand On the 
Hands — A lies on his back, 
draws his feet, which are sepa- 
rated, in rather close to his 
hips, braces his knees against 
each other and extends his 
arms upward. B places his 
hands on A's knees, puts one 
foot somewhat in advance of 
the other, leans forward and 
throws his legs upward. As B 12 s 

comes forward, A places his 
hands against his shoulders. B must keep his head 
back, hold his legs close together, and have his toes 
pointed upward (Fig. 125). B may drop over to 
his feet, assisted by a push from A, or fall back to 
his starting position. 

Pyramid— (Fig. 126). You will notice that 
this combines two distinct positions, and these 
should be tried separately. Have two boys get 
on their hands and knees, with their near shoul- 
ders and hips touching. The boy who is to 
do the head stand, having one foot in advance of 




HOW TO 



77 



the other, places one arm on the outside of the 
head of each of the kneeling boys, with the 
palms of the hands resting against their 
shoulders or their chests. He 
leans forward, places his fore- 
head on their backs, just behind 
the shoulder blades, and throws 
his legs up to a vertical position. 
This posture is easy to maintain 
for a long time. He returns to 
the floor by allowing his legs 
and feet to drop back to their 
original positions. The other 
boys should try their part, first, 
with the upper boy sitting 
down. It may be found easier 
for the upper boy to place his 
right knee on the under one's right shoulder and 
clasp his supporter's left hand with his left, instead 
of doing it as shown in the picture. He should 
balance almost entirely upon his knee. When 
ready to try the combination, have the two boys 
kneel; the boy who is standing then takes his 
place; then the lad does his head stand, and has his 
legs encircled by the one who is standing. Next 
the uppermost boy takes his position, having pre- 
viously climbed onto the shoulders of an outsider 
and been brought close the others. 




126 



78 



HOW TO 



XV 




127 



Pull Over, Hands Between 

the Legs— Call the boy with his 

arras between his legs B and the 

other A(Fig. 127). B springs as well 

as he can and puts his chin against 

his chest, while A pulls vigorously 

and straightens up. B must keep 

his legs well spread, so that he 

straddles A's body as he comes 

over (Fig. 128). A con- 
tinues to pull, but at the 
same time he pushes B's 
legs away by a forward 
shove of the body, so that 
the finish is almost at 
arm's length, the two boys facing 
each other. 

Chair and Pin — Stick a pin un- 

1 28 der one side of the back of a chair. 

Without getting off the chair, reach around from 

the opposite side and pull the pin out with the 

teeth. 




Backward Bend — Grasp a stick about two feet 
from its end. Place the hands just beneath the 
nose, bend the knees, throw the abdomen forward and 




HOW TO 79 

bend backward until the end of the stick touches 
the ground. 

Stoop If You Can — Place your heels 
against a wall which has no projecting 
board at the bottom. Have something 
placed near your toes, and try to get it 
by bending forward from the waist, 
keeping the knees straight, and without 
losing your balance. If you have a 129 
flexible spine, and can double up like the boy in 
the cut, you can do it. Clasp the back of the legs, 
put the chin against the chest, and go doubling 
down. Return in the same manner. 

Straddle Backward — A ad- 
vances one leg and kneels with the 
other. B stands with his back to 
A, with his legs spread, his knees 
bent, and his hands between his 
legs, with the thumbs next each 
other. A puts his thumbs under 
B's thumbs, and the palms of his 
hands across B 7 s. B gives a good 
upward spring, leaning backward 
jas he rises. A pushes upward as 
130" hard as he can (Fig. 130), and 

lets go just as B is passing over his head. 

Throw Backward, Lying On the Back — A 
lies on his back, places his hands alongside his head 




80 



HOW TO 




131 



as in the backward roll, and raises 
his legs. B stands with one foot 
under A's hips, the other along- 
side the lower part of his chest, 
and grasps his ankles with thumbs 
uppermost (Fig. 131). A must 
make his legs limber. B presses 
A's knees down against his chest, 
lifts his feet quickly as high as his 
face, and then pushes away. A 
pushes hard with his head and 
hands as soon as B begins to lift 

(Fig. 132), and throws his 

head and shoulders sharply 

upward and backward as his 

hands leave the mat. He 

should alight standing erect. 

Combinations — Starting 
from the same end of the 
mat, A does a hand spring 
and halts; B follows with a 
snap up, and both take the 
starting position described for Fig. 130; A strad- 
dles backward; B straightens his rear leg and puts 
his arms under the forward thigh, and A does a 
head stand on his back (Fig. 93); A does a head 
spring from this position, or rolls over to the 
mat and rolls again; B does a snap up, or roll 
over. 




132 



HOW TO 



81 



Shoulder stand on the hands and knees; move 
the hands from the knees to the upper arms of the 
boy lying down; drop the legs back toward his 
knees; lean slowly forward, put the back of the 
head on the mat and roll. 

All the boys face each other by twos. The 
twos join hands as in Fig. 86, and each stands about 
six feet away from the next pair. Let the two at 
one end of the line drop hands and one at a time 
dive through the first ring, roll to stand, imme- 
diately dive through the second ring, and so on to 
the end. When they reach the end, they step to 
opposite sides and make a ring with their hands. 
As soon as these first divers have passed a two, that 
two begins and does as the first two did, and so on 
without end, if you like. 




133 



Shoulder Stand On Two 
Supporters— A and B, the two 

supporters, stand as shown by 
Fig. 133. C drops his arms over 
theirs, and gives a strong spring, 
raising his hips and leaning for- 
ward as he begins to leave the 
ground. A and B put their free 
hands under C's thighs and help 
him up. C finishes by dropping 
forward, straightening his arms 
sideward as he turns. 



82 



HOW TO 




Horizontal Bal- 
ance — A lies on his 
back and raises his 
arms so as to place his 
hands on B's lower 
ribs as he leans for- 
ward from standing astride A's body. B catches 
A's wrists (Fig. 134). Do the same exer- 
cise with B extending his arms alongside his ears, 
instead of catching hold of A's wrists. A catches 
a little higher for this balance. 



134 



Pyramid — (Fig. 135). The three lower boys 
take their positions, and the others stand behind. 




135 



The two step from the ground into their places; 
but the top boy is first raised onto the shoulders of 



HOW TO 83 

another and steps from there into his position. To 
finish, all lean forward, fall forward and roll, releas- 
ing all grasps just before the upper boys step off. 
These must be careful not to push back at all 
strongly with their feet. 

Prisoner's Base — The players divide into two 
sides, and draw two semi-circles about twenty paces 
apart for their respective goals. At a little distance 
from its goal each party draws a circle on the 
ground, or otherwise designates a sppt which is 
called "prisoner's base." One of the side leaves 
his goal and ventures as near to that of the enemy 
as he dares. The opposite side immediately sends 




136 

ou' a player to tag the darer, but the dare's side 
immediately sends out a second player to protect 
him and to try to tag the opponent. The other 
side now sends its second player, also. This con- 
tinues until one or more are caught, or all have 
returned to their homes. If any players are caught, 
they are taken to the prisoner's base, and can be 



84 HOW TO 

released only by one of their own side touching 
them before being tagged by their opponents. There 
must at all times be a goal guard, and the game is 
won when one side has made prisoners of all but 
one of its opponents. 

The captains appoint the goal guards, and 
sometimes assume entire direction of the game, but 
sometimes each player uses his own judgment when 
to run and when to return. 



HOW TO 



85 



XVI 



Forward Throw, Hands 
Between the Legs — A stands in 
front of B, leans forward and 
puts his arms between his well- 
spread legs. B grasps A's wrists 
(Fig. 137). A bends his knees 
a little and gives a good spring, 
while B, at the same time, lifts 
hard and turns A forward (Fig. 
138). A must be careful to 

keep his legs spread until 

they have passed B's body, 

and B must be careful not to 




137 



land on his feet. 




138 



Turn in the Air — Place 
the hands on the hips, thumbs 
behind and fingers in front. 
Give a slight upward spring, 
turn the head and shoulders to the right or left, 
and make a quarter, a half or a whole turn. Do 
not bend forward at all. 

Drop the hands and hold them about a foot 
from the sides. Do not raise them, but swing with 
the shoulder and head turn, and try to do two 
whole turns or more. Keep the body erect. 




86 HOW TO 

The Crab— From position 191, 
keeping the knees bent, push the 
knees and abdomen well forward, 
raise the arms above head and bend 
slowly backward until the hands 
touch the mat (Fig. 139). Walk 
forward or backward in this posi- 
tion. Return to the original position by reversing 
the movement, or get the hands close to the feet, 
give a slight spring and throw the feet upward and 
backward to the mat. 

Toss — Have two lines of at least four boys 
face each other. Those opposite take hold of 
hands. The odd boy extends himself full length 
upon the arms of the others, his arms raised 
above his head. The others then, working to- 
gether, toss him in the air. If there are a good 
many boys, he can be given a start and "floated" 
from one end of the line to the other in the air, by 
successive tosses. 

Bean Bag — Provide something soft that can 
be thrown easily a short distance. Have the play- 
ers form a circle, then count off by twos, that is, 
every other boy has the same number, one or two, 
as the case may be. Give the bags to any number 
one and two. These players are to be the starting 
and stopping places. At a signal, the balls are 
passed — a number one throwing always to another 



HOW TO 



87 



number one, etc. One bag should go to the left 
and the other to the right. The first around, 
caught and held by its proper owner wins. Score 
is kept. 



Roundoff With 
Turn — You will no- 
tice that in Figs. 
120 and 121, the 
round off is begun 
facing east and fin- 
ished facing west. 
Begin your round 
off as in Fig. 140; 




140 




141 



as the hand first placed 
down is leaving the mat, 
turn the hips and the head 
sharply toward the left, if 
you have started with the 
left foot forward, as shown 
in the illustration, and as 
the second hand leaves the 
mat, swing it also toward the left (Fig. 141) You 
should land facing the east. This requires lots of 
snap, and the legs must go as high as possible. 

Arm Circles — Raise the arms above the head. 
Make circles forward with the right arm and back- 
ward with the left. Turning sideward at the hips 
a little makes it easy. 




88 HOW TO 

The Lever — Take 

position 4, but with the 
fingers pointed back- 
ward instead of forward. 
1 42 Press the elbows strongly 

against the sides of the body, and slide yourself 
forward until you are balanced as in Fig. 142. This 
can be made a little easier by placing the points of 
the elbows just inside the hip bones. 

Combinations— Round off; roll backward to 
position 4; jump between the hands; snap up. 

Starting from opposite ends of the mat, A 
does a round off with a turn, and B does a hand 
spring. They clasp hands, raise their arms to one 
side, turn back to back and pull over the back 
(Figs. 118, 119); pull over, hands between the legs 
(Figs. 127, 128). 

Starting from the same end of the mat, A does 
a hand spring, then, standing, places his hands on 
his knees; B runs and rolls over A (Fig. 57), then 
leans forward, puts his arms between his own spread 
legs; A grasps B's wrists and turns him forward. 

Two start from the same end of the mat, and, 
following each other, do several snap ups. The one 
in front then stands, the one behind puts his head 
between the legs of the one in front of him, and 
throws A backward (Figs. 143, 144). A puts his 
head between B's legs and throws him, and so on 
to the end of the mat. 



HOW TO 



89 




143 



Throw backward, Head Be= 

tween the Legs — Take position 

shown in Fig. 143. A is standing. 

Have someone put a hand on A's 

shoulder and support him firmly 

for several trials. He must be sure 

to keep his legs well spread, or he 

will hurt B's ears. A leans back- 
ward. As soon as B can feel that 

A has started, he straightens up 

and gives a quick and vigorous 

throw backward. A must be sure 

not to jump, but as soon as his feet 

are off the floor he should draw his 

knees in toward his chest (Fig. 
144). A good throw will always 
land A in an erect position. In 
case of a slip, when there is no 
assistant, B can save A from a fall 
by putting his hands behind and 
catching A's shoulders as they 
slide down his back. 

Buck, Buck, How Many 
Horns Are Up? —Three boys take 
part, buck, frog and umpire. The 
buck leans forward and rests his hands on a wall. 
The frog runs and leaps on his back, while the 
umpire Btands alongside. The frog now holds up 
several fingers and cries, "Buck, buck, how many 




90 



HOW TO 



horns are up?" If the buck guesses correctly, the 
two change places; if not, the frog repeats his 
jump and question. The umpire decides the matter 
each time. 

Broncho Riding — A places his hands on the 
mat about three feet in front of his toes, and bends 
his knees a little. B sits astride A's hips, sometimes 
locking his legs under A, and sometimes his arms. 
A tries to dismount B by bucking and kicking. Be 
sure to try this on some soft spot, so that B will 
not be injured if he gets thrown. 




145 



Pyramid— (Fig. 145). 

Two boys stand back to 
back and slide their feet a 
little distance out in front. 
A third boy sits on their 
shoulders, between their 
heads. Two others do 
hand stands on the knees 
of the two standing, who 
support them by catching 
hold of their belts, while 
the top boy seizes an ankle 
or a trousers leg of each. 



HOW TO 



91 



XYII 



Hand Stand 
On Chest and 
Drop Over — A 

is lying down. 
B first puts his 
liands flat on A's 
chest; A then 





147 



146 

puts his arms in front of 
B's and his hands on B's 
shoulders a little behind 
the arms (Fig. 146). The 
palms of A's hands are 
turned forward so that 
the little fingers are next 
B's arms. B then does 
a hand stand (Fig. 147). 
He holds the balance for 
several seconds, then 
puts his chin against 



his chest and allows his 
legs to drop over. Just as 
they start, A raises his legs 
and puts his feet on B's 
hips, just below his belt 
(Fig. 148). B swings his 
arms forward, while A 




148 



92 



HOW TO 



moves his legs a little in the same direction, and 
allows B to stand on the mat. 




149 



Straddle Forward — A 

stands with one leg well in ad- 
vance of the other and has the 
forward knee bent, while the 
rear one is straight. He must 
keep his head well up and keep 
looking straightforward. B runs 
forward, places both hands on 
A's head (Fig. 149), springs up- 
ward and straddles forward and 

over, assisted upward b*y a strong 
push from A's hand, which is 
placed between his legs (Fig. 
150). If A allows his head to 
bend forward, B's hands will 
slip off and he will be in danger 
of landing on his head. 



Foot in the Hole — Draw a 

circle about eighteen inches in 
^ diameter. A puts one foot in- 
side this circle and the other 
outside. B hops on one foot, 




150 



and by pulling, pushing or tripping with his free 
foot, tries to make A bring his foot outside the 
line. A, in his turn, by the same means, tries to 
make B step on both feet. Either doing what he 




HOW TO 93 

ought not to do, loses to the other, and then 
change places. 

Roll Down Forward — From a stand- 
ing position raise the hands to the front 
of the chest, bend the knees, push the 
abdomen forward (Fig. 151), and roll 
downward, touching the knees, the abdo- 
men, the hands and the chest in the 
order named; allow the knees to bend 
and the feet to drop over toward the 
head (Fig. 152). From this position you may roll 
back or go on over into the crab and make a com* 
plete roll from stand to stand. If you wish to go 
over from position 152, put the fore- 
head on the mat, straighten the arms 
and allow the legs to drop over as 
close to the body as possible. As the 
feet touch, push the knees forward, 
put the chin against the chest, 
152 press strongly from the hands and 

swing them forward, and you will come to a stand- 
ing position. If your arms are strong, there is no 
need to touch the head to the mat. 

Roll Down Backward— From the hand stand 
bend the arms and lean forward until the chest 
rests on the mat, and allow the feet to drop over 
toward the head as in Fig. 152. Straighten the 
arms, push from the hands, throw the head and 





153 



94 HOW TO 

shoulders backward and roll backward to stand. 
Keep the head and shoulders going well, and you 
will have no trouble in coming from the knees to 
the feet. Run and dive into the position just 
described, and roll back to stand. 

Head Balance— (Fig. 153). Do 
a head stand. Lower the legs toward 
the face a little and spread them. Be- 
gin by raising one hand, then try 
both. It i3 a hard trick to master. 

Leg Twist — Toe a mark with the 
toes of the right foot. Throw the 
left leg behind the right and place 
the toes opposite the instep of the right foot, the 
left heel in line with the right instep, forming two 
right angles. 

Begin as before, but carry the left foot around 
until the left instep is opposite the toes of the 
right foot, forming two right angles, as before. 

Begin in the same manner, but carry the left 
foot around until the toes of the left foot touch 
the heel of the right and the left heel touches the 
k>es of the right foot. 

Hang Tag — When players are hanging by the 
hands or arms, they cannot be tagged by the "it. 1 ' 
When " it '' attempts to tire some one player out, 
the others should try to entice him away. 



HOW TO 



95 




154 



Pyramid — (Fig. 
154). The boys kneel- 
ing first take their po- 
sitions, then the one 
standing on their 
thighs, then the two 
standing on their 
shoulders are assisted 
up by the outside 
boys giving them a 
knee to stand on, the 
outside boys taking 
their positions immediately afterward. The topmost 
boy takes his position from the shoulders of another. 

Combinations — A does a hand stand with roll 
forward and snap up; from the opposite end of the 
mat B does a head spring, rolls forward, then back- 
ward to rest on his shoulders; A grasps bis ankles 
and throws him back to stand (Figs. 131, 132); 
both roll backward to hand stand and snap down. 

Stand on shoulders; fall forward with rolls to 
stand; A puts his head between ITs legs and throws 
backward; A rolls forward to lying flat on his 
back; B does a hand stand on his chest and drops 
over (Fig 146); B turns, grasps A's ankles and 
throws him backward to stand. 

Double dive (Fig. 100); roll forward with 
shears, straddle forward (Figs. 149, 150); both roll 
forward with snap up. 



96 



HOW TO 



Strong Boy — See if you can hold one pound 
at arm's length for a minute. Try a lesser weight 
for a shorter time. 

High Jump — "Pile up chairs as high as you 
choose, and I'll take off my shoes and jump over 
them.'' Jump over the shoes. 

Egg Races— Tie the hands of the players be- 
hind their backs. Place a spoon in the mouth of 
each one, with a hard-boiled egg upon it. Have 
them race a given distance to see who can arrive 
first with his egg in place. 

Do the same, having the spoon carried in one 
hand. 



Snake Wrestling — 

Have the players join 
hands. In the centre of 
the circle place one or 
more sticks, bottles, or 
Indian clubs (Fig. 155). 
Try to make some player 
knock the pin over by 
pulling, pushing, turn- 
ing, etc. Several unite 
against one, or one side tries to beat the other side 
of the circle. When one knocks over a pin, he 
drops out, and play continues until there is a 
winner. 




155 



HOW TO 



97 



XVIII 

Sit On the Feet and 
Kick Back — A lies on his 
back and raises his feet so 
that B can stand close to his 
hips. A then places his feet 
against B's hips, and straight- 
ens his knees just enough to 
allow B to stand upright. B 
then raises his arms straight 
upward. He then leans back- 




156 




ward, putting all of his weight 
on A's feet, and bends his head 
back as far as possible (Fig. 
156). A allows his knees to 
bend a little toward his own 
chest, and just as B's feet are 
leaving the mat, he kicks as 
hard as possible (if the boy is 
about his own weight). B as- 
sists the backward turn by 
drawing his knees upward a lit- 



167 



tie as he is kicked (Fig. 
157). lie should 
alight standing erect 
behind A's head. You 




158 



98 



HOW TO 



must either have someone support B's shoulders 
during the first few turns, or practice going back 
very slowly, and have A support the shoulders until 
the turn is mastered (Fig. 158). B must be care- 
ful not to jump. He must put his weight fully on 
A's feet. 




159 



Balance Above Head 

— A places himself in front 

of B, who takes hold of his 

belt or trousers at the hips, 

while A places his hands 

on B's wrists. Both lift 

their heels and bend the 

knees a little. A then 

springs upward, leaning 

backward as he rises, and 

extends his arms, while B 

lifts vigorously till he holds 
A in a horizontal position 
above his head (Fig. 159). 
This position is maintained 
for a few seconds; A then 
draws his knees to his 
chest and turns back- 
ward to the mat (Fig. 160), 
assisted by a push from B. 
During the first few trials, 
have someone place a hand 
B0 on A's shoulders. 




HOW TO 



99 




161 



High Jump — Two boys 
stand facing each other, six 
or eight feet apart. A spreads 
his feet, bends his knees and 
clasps his hands, resting the 
forearms on his thighs. B 
runs forward, places both 
hands on A's shoulders and 
one of his feet in A's hands 
(Fig. 161), He springs from 

the foot that is on the ground, 

stiffens the other leg and presses 

on B's shoulders with his hands, 

while B straightens up and 

lifts hard. Several practice lifts 

should be tried. B then runs 

and jumps over A's head, lean- 
ing forward as he presses off of 

A's shoulder. He must be sure 

to keep the throwing leg stiff, 

or there will be a spill. In 

Fig. 162 the upper boy has bent 

his knee after he was thrown. 




162 



Balance On Head — This 
exercise is done in the same 
manner as in Figs. 159, 160, with this difference: 
B puts his head under A at the base of the spine, 
thus acquiring an additional support, instead of 
holding him up by the hands and arms. This en- 
; L.cFC. 



00 



HOW TO 



ables B to handle a much heavier boy than is pos- 
sible in the first exercise. 



Pyramid— (Fig. 163). 
Start as if A was to stand 
on B's shoulders. Instead 
of putting his upper foot 
on B's shoulders, however, 
A hooks the front part of 
it about B's neck, and 
both lean slowly backward 
until a good balance is 
secured. A places his 
hands in any desired posi- 
tion. 




163 



Jump Rope, Lying Down— Lie down with the 
knees raised and the heels not far from the hips. 
Have your rope about six feet long behind the head 
at arm's length. Swing it downward and raise the 
feet to allow it to pass under. Immediately replace 
the feet, push from the head aad shoulders (putting 
the weight on the feet) high enough to pass the 
rope under your back and forward again. The 
movement must be done rapidly to be successful. 
You can do it without putting tlu feet on the floor 
at all. but this is hard on the shoulders. 

Stage Pall — Fall sidewards, touching first the 
knee, then the hip, then the shoulder, turning onto 
the back as you finish. 



HOW TO 



101 



Black Man — (Fig. 164). Two opposite goals 
are selected. The "it," or black man, stands mid- 
way between them, and cries out, " Are you afraid 
of the black man?'' to which the others reply, 
"No, not of one like you,'' and then they all run 




164 

from the one goal to the other. The black man 
tags as many as possible while they are on their 
way, and those tagged must assist him in tagging 
the others. This is repeated until all are caught. 
The first one tagged is "it" for the. new game. 

Combinations — From the same end of the 
mat, A does a round off with turn; B walks on his 
hands and drops his legs over A's shoulders; they 
do a hand stand roll twice; A then rolls for- 
ward to stand, and B rolls forward far enough to 
place his feet beneath A's hips; kick back to stand. 

Starting from the same end of the mat, A does 
a hand spring and rolls forward to stand; B rolls 
forward and snaps up; B throws A backward, head 



102 HOW TO 

between his legs; A grasps B at the waist, balances 
him above his head and drops him back (Figs. 159, 
160). 

Starting from opposite ends of the mat, A does 
a hand spring and stands; B runs and springs over 
A's head (Figs. 161, 162); A places his hands on 
his hips, B does a round on 2 as he alights, then runs 
and rolls over A (Fig. 57); both roll forward with 
snap up. 

Limber Up — Raise the arms in front until 
they are as high as the shoulders, palms facing each 
other. Swing the arms backward and have the 
backs of the hands touch each other behind the 
back. If you drop the head and shoulders a little 
forward as the hands go back, you will find the 
trick comparatively easy. 

Place the hands on the hips, thumbs behind 
and fingers in front. Rub the elbows together 
behind the back. 

Touch — Two boys stand, each with an arm 
extended toward the other. Try to touch each 
other without being touched in return. Best two 
out of three wins. A touch on the hand does not 
count. 

Seat Balance— Sit on the floor and fold the 
arms across your chest. Raise the legs and see if 
you can balance on the end of your spine. 



HOW TO 103 

XIX 

Front Somersault — Raise the hands 
as high as the head, with the elbows on a 
line with the chin (Fig. 165). Do a for- 
ward roll over, swinging the hands down- 
ward, so that they slap the mat as the roll 
is finished, instead of catching the legs. 
As a second preliminary exercise, take 
165 a slight jump, with hands in same position, 
raise the knees as close to the chest as pos- 
sible, throw the hands forward and downward to 
grasp the legs, and alight on the shoulders without 
touching the head. 

Now get a very soft spot to alight on, and 
from the standing position, with the hands held 
as high as the head, give a hard spring (raising the 
knees close to the chest), try to put your head into 
your abdomen, swing the arms vigorously forward 
and downward, and grasp the legs half-way between 
the knees and ankles. If you do these things with 
sufficient snap, you will land on your feet in the 
position shown by Fig. 66. As- 
sistance may be given by placing 
a hand on the back of the neck 
and lifting when the boy is half- 
way round. 

Try the exercise with three 
or four running steps for a start, "^ 66 





104 HOW TO 

but be sure to jump from both feet when you try 
to turn. The hands are raised just as you spring 
onto both feet from the last running step. You 
will find very little difficulty in turn- 
ing over in this way. 

As soon as you are sure of land- 
ing on your feet with a slight run, 
you should try to go higher and land 
standing erect. In order to do this, 
do not raise the hands quite so high, 
~r ^s7^: but as you jump, look up a little and 
167 shoot the hands upward, then swing 

them downward to grasp the legs 
(Figs. 166, 167). Give a sharp 
pull inward, then let go, allowing 
the arms to drop to the sides and 
straighten the legs (Fig. 168.) In- 
crease your speed as you run. The 
looking upward motion is impor- 
tant, as it determines the direction 
of your jump, as well as the height. If you look 
upward, but some distance in front, you will cover 
more ground than if your gaze were directed up- 
ward, but at a point nearer to you. You are apt to 
turn too far and land on your face if you take 
too much of a run and catch the legs low. Be 
content to master the preliminary parts before you 
try to do a high somersault. 

Raise one leg backward. Have another boy 
stand by your side and place one hand under your 




HOW TO 105 

knee nearest him and his other hand under your 
instep. You are to do a standing front somersault, 
and he is to assist by lifting hard and giving you a 
forward turn by pushing upward on your ankle and 
knee. 

Another way is for your assistant to stand 
directly behind you. You raise one foot. He takes 
hold of the ankle with both hands, lifts and turns 
as before. 

You may turn from the shoulders or back of 
another, or from any height, after you become 
expert. 

Kick Back, Pacing East 

\ and West— (Fig.169). A lies 
\ on his back and raises his feet 
/ above his face. B stands 
astride A's head, and sits on 
his feet. They take hold of 
hands, both having the arms 
straight. B leans back. A 
bends his arms and knees a 
little, then kicks B with all his force and gives a 
push with his hands as B's hips leave his feet. 
This is attended with considerable risk, and should 
not be attempted unless someone has hold of B's 
ehoulder to keep him from dropping on his head. 

Kick Back, Sidewards — A takes the same po- 
sition as for the other kick backs. B stands at his 




106 



HOW TO 



side, with his heels close to A's hips, sits on his 
feet, leans back and is kicked over to stand. This 
also needs extra care, and a supporting hand, until 
it is thoroughly mastered. 



Stand On the Feet— A lies 
on his back, brings his knees 
close to his chest and raises his 
feet above his knees. B steps 
on A's near thigh with one foot, 
places the other on A's farther 
foot, then steps up to position 
170. 

Hand Spring Over a Stick 

— Take hold of a very strong 
stick about three feet from the end, with 
the hands facing in opposite directions and several 
inches apart. Run, place one end of the stick 
firmly in the ground, lean and hand spring over, 
bringing the stick over with you. 




170 



Dog Fight — Two boys get on their hands and 
knees, facing each other, about three feet apart, 
inside a small circle. Take a strap, or a piece of 
muslin (the ends of which have been joined), and 
put over the two heads, which must be kept up and 
back. At the signal, both pull until one is pulled 
out of the ring, or has allowed his head to drop 
forward and the strap to slip off. 




HOW TO 107 

Hand Spring From the Shoulders 
— Mount to the shoulders of another 
hoy. Take hold of his hands and lean 
forward as in Fig. 171 . The under boy 
must be very strong. Bend your arms, 
lean forward, and turn a hand spring to 
the mat, assisted by a slight push from 
your supporter, who must not allow his 
arms to bend much. Be careful to keep 
your head back far enough to avoid fall- 
ing on your face as you turn. Do not attempt this 
without having someone put a hand on your 
shoulder and an arm across your chest, as it is 
somewhat dangerous. 

Combinations — Head or hand spring and for^ 
ward somersault. 

Hand stand; roll down backward to the knees 
(Fig. 152); jump forward to stand and front som- 
ersault. 

Bucking broncho; roll backward to hand 
stand; hold the balance an instant, then roll for- 
ward with snap up. 

Double dive (Fig. 100); both roll forward to 
stand and round off; A rolls forward to flat on his 
back, B does a head spring to stand astride A; hori- 
zontal balance (Fig. 134); B rolls forward to stand, 
while A snaps up. 

Three boys stand in line, facing in the same 
direction. The middle boy (C), dives, rolls to 



108 



HOW TO 



stand and does a round off. A and B roll with snap 
up, face each other and join hands; C runs, dives 
through (Fig. 86), and rolls with shears. A and B 
release their grasp and assist C to a shoulder stand 
(Fig. 133); C drops over to stand. As C leaves their 
arms, A and B swing their legs up to hand stand 
and snap down. 

Squat Over the Head Forward 

— A and B face each other and take 
hold of hands, palms crossing one 
another. B springs upward, drawing 
his knees close to his chest, and is 
lifted by A, as soon as he rises enough 
for that boy to be able to lift. Jump 
first to stand on A's shoulders. After 
a few trials, squat over to the ground 
(Fig. 172). Keep the head well forward. 

172 

Cateh the Thief — The players divide into two 
sides. About one-third the distance between the 
two lines have something on which a handkerchief 
or cap can be hung, within easy reach. At a signal, 
a player from each side starts. The one from the 
line nearest the cap tries to get it and return to his 
line, while the one from the other side tries to catch 
the one with the " stolen " article. The one caught 
before reaching home becomes prisoner. 

5taff Shove — Two boys take a strong stick 
about eight feet long, face each other from oppo- 




HOW TO 109 

site ends, and try to shove each other over some 
mark previously agreed upon. Try this with two 
sticks. Both stand between them, facing each 
other, and shove. 

Pyramid— (Fig. 173.) The two-high first take 
their positions. The three on each side then assume 
their preparatory positions. The end boys are to 
support those next them just enough to prevent 
them from falling backward. The boys doing hand 




173 

stands are to spring from both feet and and kick 
up to the balance, as this enables them to get closer 
to the two in the middle. As the legs rise, they 
are seized and held by the belt and the heels, as 
shown in the figure. 

Stick Wrestling— Two boys take hold of a 
stick about four feet long, near each end, and by 
turning, pushing, twisting, etc., endeavor to wrest 
it from each other. 



110 



HOW TO 




174 



XX 

Hand Spring and Pull Over— 

A stands in front of B. B puts 
his chin in front of one of A's 
shoulders and his hands on A's 
hips. A puts both hands around 
B's head and one foot backward 
between B's spread legs (Fig. 174). 
Both bend the knees a little, then B springs, lifting 
the knees toward the chest and pushes hard with 
both hands, while A pulls strongly upon B's head 
and leans well forward. As B comes over, he 
straightens his legs, while A 
straightens up a little from the 
leaning position which he took 
while pulling. A keeps his 
hands on B's head until it can 
be seen that he is going to 
land safely on his feet (Fig. 
175). The danger in this exer- 
cise is that A will pull B so hard that he will turn 
too far forward and land on his abdomen instead of 
his feet. It is not difficult, and with care on this 
point can be safely done at the first trial. 

Chicken Fight— Two boys of about the same 
size sit down facing each other in the centre of a 
mat, or some soft spot on the floor. Each boy 
clasps his hands below and in front of his knees, 




175 



HOW TO 



111 



and the toes of each touch the toes of the other. 
At a signal, each boy tries to dig his toes under 
those of his opponent. The one succeeding in 
doing this can, by a very slight push, cause the 
other to roll over backward quicker than it takes to 
tell it. The hands must be tightly clasped through- 
out the fight. 

Double Roll to Hand 
Stand — A lies on his back, 
while B stands astride his 
body, looking toward his head. 
They take hold of each other's 
arms near the shoulder. B 
does a hand stand (Fig. 176), 
then drops his legs backward 
toward his face; leans for- 
ward and rolls till he lies flat 
on his back (Fig. 177). A then raises his knees 
to his chest, and rolls backward to hand stand, 
assisted by B, coming down astride B. A then 




176 



177 



goes down on his back, while B comes up on I is 
feet, standing between A's legs, and immediately 
does another hand stand as first described. Roll 
thus several times at a quick pace. 



112 



HOW TO 



Single Carry — A lies face downward on the 
mat. Facing A's heels, B puts one arm and shoul- 
der under his hips, lifts A up and carries him 
around like a sack of sugar. 

A stands and allows B to grasp him by the 
shoulders and wrap his legs about him from behind. 
A grasps B's legs and capers around with him, 
pick-a-back. 

B stands, A wraps himself about B's middle, 
catches hold of his own legs and is held up by B. 
B trots around. 

Straddle From the Floor — 

A lies on his back and raises one 
leg. B stands astride of the other 
leg and takes hold of A's hands. 
B pulls strongly, A puts the raised 
foot down and springs upward. As 
he gets above B's waist, A straight- 
ens his arms and B pushes him on up 
and over his head in the straddle posi- 
tion. It is a little easier for B to make 
a quarter turn as A goes up. He can Y 
duck a little if A has not taken a good 
spring. 

Playful Lambs— Three boys get on 
their hands and knees, side by side. The 
middle boy springs from his hands and 
toes over the back of one of the others, 179 




178 




HOW TO 



113 



and immediately rolls over sidewards, coming up 
onto his hands and knees again. The boy who has 
been jumped over rolls over -toward the third boy, 
and is leaped over by him. The third, in his turn, 
rolls toward boy No. 1, who is now ready, and 
jumps in the opposite direction over No. 3. 



Pyramid— (Fig. 180). Two 
boys stand back to back and 
about two feet apart. Two others 
climb onto their shoulders, and 
kneel there, facing each other, 
and take hold of hands. The 
lower boys take hold of the 
heels of the upper ones. A fifth 
boy, stepping from the shoul- 
ders of another, kneels on the 
arms of the upper boys and puts 
a hand on each of their heads to 
steady himself. 




180 



Combinations— Hand stand roll (Figs. 98, 99); 
hand spring and pull over (Figs. 174, 175); throw 
backward, head between the legs (Figs. 143, 144); 
kick back (Figs. 156, 157). 

Shoulder stand on the hands (Fig. 125); 
change grasp to hand stand on the arms (Fig. 176); 
roll forward (Fig. 177); double roll to hand stand 
several times; the lad doing the hand stand last 
snaps down, slipping his grasp to the hands of the 



114 



HOW TO 



other, and pulls him up to straddle over head (Figs. 
178, 179). 

Stand on the shoulders (Fig. 56); fall forward 
and roll; balance above the head and drop over 
(Figs. 159,160); straddle backward (Fig. 130); 
hand spring and pull over. 

Chair Balance — Sit on a chair, tilt it back- 
wards, and balance on the two rear legs. Keep the 
head forward so that if you overbalance backward 
you can duck forward and bring your feet under 
you as the chair forsakes you. 

Long Arm— Put the right elbow behind the 
head, the right wrist beneath the chin from the 
left side, and grasp the right ear with the right 
hand. 

Indian Wrestle— (Figs, 181, 182). Two boys 
lie down alongside of each other, with the feet 




181 



pointing in opposite directions. They lock the 
near elbows, raise the near legs, and try to turn 



HOW TO 



115 




182 



each other over backward by locking the legs 
at an agreed signal. Try to catch your opponent's 
heel and twist him a little sidewards. 



116 



HOW TO 



XXI 




183 



5it On Shoulders and 
Throw Back — The two boys 
face each other, standing five or 
six feet apart. A runs toward 
B, places his hands on top of B's 
head, while B puts his hands be- 
tween A's thighs, lifts, and A 
springs to seat on B's shoulders 
(Fig. 183), B putting his 
hands beneath A's thighs as 
he rises. A then raises his 
arms above his head, leans up- 
ward and backward, and is given 
a vigorous upward push by B. 
A draws his knees to his chest 
as he begins to turn (Fig. 184), 
and should land standing erect. 
During the first trials, someone 
should put a hand on A's shoul- 
der as he leans backward and 
give his hips an additional shove, 
if it is needed, in order to turn 
him the proper distance. The 
bending backward should be 
done slowly, but the knees 184 

should be drawn quickly to the chest and the turn 
made with considerable snap. 




HOW TO 



117 




Hand Stand On Two Supporters 

— A and B stand side by side. C, 
facing in the opposite direction, puts 
a hand on A's right and B's left 
shoulder. These two place their near 
hands on C's shoulders and take him by 
the belt with the other. C gives a 
strong spring, brings his heels to his 
hips and kicks up to hand stand, as- 
sisted by the others (Fig. 185). As 
he rises, A and B let go of his belt 
and slide their hands up his chest to 
his outer arms. G either drops on over to the floor, 
or he falls back to his starting position. In the 
former case, he should be caught by another, and 
remember to keep his head back as he drops. 

Combinations — Starting from the same end of 
the mat, A does a dive and roll over to stand; B fol- 
lows with a round off with turn; B throws A back- 
ward, head between his legs, then throws him for- 
ward by the hand spring and pull over; A rolls to 
flat on his back and they do the double roll (Figs. 
108-110); they break loose in the roll, and both 
snap up — or, instead of the double roll, they stand 
on the hands and roll (Figs. 187-189). 

Starting from opposite ends of the mat, both 
do a hand spring; A stands still, while B rolls for- 
ward, stands and puts his hands between his legs; 
A pulls him over (Figs. 127, 128); both roll back- 



118 



HOW TO 




ward to hand stand and snap down; A bends his 
knees a little; B runs forward and does a hand 
stand on the knees (Fig. 103); he snaps down, rolls 
backward to hand stand and snaps down again, then 
runs forward, jumps to seat on A's shoulders and is 
thrown back (Figs. 183, 184). 

High Hand Spring— A advances 
one foot and bends both knees a little. 
B runs, places both hands on A's 
shoulders and springs upward, raising 
his hips and bringing his knees close 
to his chest. He places his head 
alongside A's and may press against 
his shoulders. As he rises, A places 
his hands on B's thighs (Fig. 186), 
and gives him a strong push. B 
straightens his legs as they go over and pushes off 
from A's shoulders with both hands. He must 
keep his head back, and have someone to catch him. 

Dodge Bail — Half of the players form a circle, 
each standing about two feet from the next. The 
others step inside, facing outward, and about 
twenty-five feet from those of the outer circle. 
Those of the outer circle throw a tennis ball at 
those of the inner. If one of those inside the ring 
is hit, he takes a place in the outer ring. This is 
kept up until only one dodger is left. The player 
must be hit by the ball on the fly. A strike after a 
bound does not count. 



186 



HOW TO 



119 



Double Carry — A lies on his back. B puts 
his hands under A's shoulders and lifts. C, facing 
in the same direction as B, steps between A's legs 
and lifts and both walk off with their burden. 

A and B take hold of each other's left wrists 
with the right hand. C sits on the arms nearest 
him and the others form a back for him to lean 
against. 

A and B each takes hold of his own left wrist 
with his right hand, and then they join grasps. C 
sits on the seat thus formed and puts an arm 
around each of the other's necks. 

A and B stand side by side, with their arms 
hanging down. The wrist of the inside hand is to be 
bent, so that the hand will form a sort of stirrup, 
into which C steps, places his hands on the shoul- 
ders of the others, and is carried about. 




Stand On the Hands 
and Roll — A lies on his back, 
rests the 
backs of his 
hands on the 
mat and 
raises his 



legs to a 
187 vertical posi- 

tion. B puts his feet in the 
palms of A's hands and his hands 
on the soles of A's feet (Fig. 




188 



120 



HOW TO 




189 



187). B presses hard upon 
A's feet and springs, while A 
straightens his arms (Fig. 
188); A bends his knees and 
spreads his legs a little; B 
leans forward, held back 
somewhat by A, and both 
roll, B into the lower position 
and A into the upper one. 
They do not stop in position 
187, but move through it to 
position 188, with a very little break. This exer- 
cise is varied by the upper boy standing erect on 
the hands of the lower (Fig. 189), while the lower 
boy drops his legs to the mat. After an instant, 
they return to position 188, and roll. 

Crocodile Walk — Take position 4. Reach as 
far forward as possible without letting any other 
part of the body touch the mat. Move both arms 
and legs sidewards as much as possible. In this 
position move forward or backward. 



Running Knot — The boys run in a line, each 
keeping about six feet from the next in front. The 
leader makes a short circle and runs between, say 
the fourth and fifth boys; the lad behind the leader 
between the fifth and sixth, and so on. As soon as 
he passes between the boys, the leader takes the 
original direction of the run. 



HOW TO 



121 



Pyramid— (Fig. 190). Two 
boys face each other, advance 
the left foot, kneel on the right 
knee and grasp each other's 
arms near the shoulders. Two 
others stand on their shoulders 
and grasp each other's arms. 
The two in the figure have their 
feet too far forward; their shins 
should be pressed against the 
back of the lower boys 1 heads, 
with the toes turned well out- 
ward. A fifth boy steps on to 
the arms of the upper two from 
the shoulders of another. 

Up and Down -Have an 
even number of boys stand in a 
circle and grasp hands, standing 1@0 

nearly arm's length apart. Count twos. At a sig- 
nal all of the ones slide their feet toward the cen- 
tre of the ring and drop down, supported by the 
twos. The twos give a lift and as the ones regain 
their equilibrium the twos drop down, and so on. 




;?,*. 



*"* 






. :' 



122 



HOW TO 






> 



XXII 

Flip, or Back Hand Spring — 

Have a belt securely fastened about 
'the waist and have a boy take hold of 
it on each side. The boy on your 
right takes hold with his left hand 
and the one on your left with his 
right. Their free hands are to catch 

your legs and help by pushing you over (Fig. 194). 

Do not trust to the buttons on your trousers hold- 




191 



ing; there is too 
them, and if one 
you might be 
Get a strap, 
raise the hands 
face ; bend the 
the arms back- 




192 



much strain on 
should give way, 
seriously hurt. 
Raise the heels; 
as high as the 
knees and swing 
ward past the 
sides, keeping the back straight (Fig. 191). Push 
the abdomen forward, but do not straighten the 
knees; throw the head backaud swing 
the arms forward, upward and back- 
ward as vigorously as possible, then 
jump (Fig. 192). Have the boys hold 
you up so high that you can have the 
hands touch with the arms straight. 
The fingers should be pointed toward 
your starting point. When your hands 
hit the mat, your body should be in 193 




HOW TO 123 

the hand stand position (Fig. 193). The remainder 
of the flip is exactly like the snap down. The 
movement should be thoroughly mastered with 
assistance before being tried alone, as bad habits 
are easily formed and are hard to break. 

The difficulties in this exercise are in not get- 
ting the abdomen forward at the beginning, in 
turning the head to one side just 
as you start, and in not keeping the 
arms straight. You should have 
support until you do it correctly 
and are confident. After some 
practice, the boys can place their 
hands under your hips after your 
hands have started upward, and 
give you a slight lift, instead of 
holding by the belt. 
In order to do a "spotter,'' lean farther for- 
ward as jou start, thus making a sharper bend; 
place the hands where the feet have been, then 
snap down so as to have the feet land in the place 
of the hands. If yo-u desire to do several flips in 
succession, as soon as the feet strike in the first, 
continue the bend backward and swing of the arms 
as rapidly as possible. 

Wrongside Out — Lie down on your back. 
Raise the legs and drop them backward until the 
bent knees rest on the floor alongside of your ears. 
Put the hands do\m, push a little with them and 




124 



HOW TO 



the back of the head and, resting on the knees, pull 
the head from between them and come to 
position 30. Do it without assistance from the 
hands. 



Triple Roll — 

A lies on his back 
and draws his feet 
up close to his hips. 
B steps astride A, 
bends forward and 
takes hold of his 
ankles. C stands 
behind A's head, 
and picks B up by 
the ankles. A takes 
hold of C's ankles 
(Fig. 195). 

B bends his arms and puts the back of his 
head on the mat as C springs up in the air, raising 
his hips as he rises and pulling A up. B must give 
C some support by holding his legs firmly set, 
although they are bent. 

Keep these additional points in mind, and pro- 
ceed as described for Figs. 108, 109 and 110. 




195 



Hop Wrestle — Two boys take hold of each 
other's right hand, stand on one leg and try to 
make the other put his raised foot down, or to touch 
the floor with the free hand. 



HOW TO 



125 




196 



Hand Spring Over 
Feet — A lies on his 
back and raises his legs 
so as to rest his feet 
against B's thighs, who 
leans forward and 
grasps A's ankles (Fig. 
196). This is the 
starting position, but 
B takes a short run first, then throws his legs as 
though he were to do the movement unassisted. As 
B's weight comes on his feet, A bends his knees a 
little, then kicks as hard as possible, B pushing off 
from the ankles as his legs get beyond the vertical 
point. If it is necessary, A still further assists by 
raising his arms and giving a slight push to B's 
shoulders (Fig. 197), as he comes over. 

The same exercise may be done by B taking 
hold of A's hands instead of his 
ankles. 

A somewhat similar movement, 
but a much more difficult one, is 
done by B standing on A's hands, 
facing in the same direction as A, 
taking hold of A's feet and doing a 
hand spring over from both feet, 
assisted by a throw from A's hands. 
A also straightens his legs vigor- 
ously as B's legs begin to descend. 
B must keep tight hold of A's feet 




126 



HOW TO 



and push off after A's legs are nearly straight. Still 
another method: Start as for the first described. 
B, instead of catching A's ankles, swings his head 
and arms downward as though to do a hand spring 
alone. He puts his weight on A's feet, however, as 
in Fig. 196, and is kicked over to stand. 

Pyramid — (Fig. 198). The 
bottom boy must be much larger 
and stronger than the other two. 
The boy who is to be on top 
stands in front of the second, 
spreads his legs and is lifted, sit- 
ting on his shoulders. The bottom 
boy then puts his head between the 
legs of the second and straightens 
up and lifts the two. As they 
go up, the knees are bent, the feet 
'**&S3S3S are pl ace d on ^ ne thighs close to 
"the hips, and the next below takes 
198 hold in front of the legs, just be- 

low the knees. The top boy straightens up a little, 
the one below pulls his head backward from between 
his legs, and is followed in like manner by the low- 
est. Drop forward to the feet. 

Legless — Sit down. Lean a little forward, put 
the arms beneath the knees, and push the heels up 
until they lock behind the head. Sit as nearly 
erect as possible, the hands resting on the floor to 
balance you, or lean back against a wall. « 




4$** 



HOW TO 



127 



Horse and Rider — (Fig. 199). Have a soft 
ball. The players pair off according to size and 
strength, and form a double circle (one behind the 
other), each pair standing three paces from the 
next. Those who have agreed to be horses bend 
forward and allow the riders to straddle their backs. 
The riders then throw the ball to one another. As 
soon as it is muffed, all the riders dismount and 
run, while the ball is picked up by any one of the 




horses, who calls "halt'' as soon as he has it in his 
hand. The riders must stop at the command. The 
horse, throwing from where he picked up the 
ball, endeavors to hit one of the riders, who may 
dodge, but without moving his feet. If the rider 
is hit, those who were riders become horses and 
vice versa, but if he is missed play is resumed with 
the players in the first position. The ball must 
not be held for any length of time by a rider, but 
must be tossed as soon as caught, no matter what 






128 HOW TO 

position the player may be in. The horses are 
allowed to turn from side to side, or completely 
round on the spot, in order to make the catch more 
difficult. 

Abdominal Roll — Lie on the mat, face down- 
ward. Raise the heels and grasp the insteps with 
the hands. Roll over sidewards. 

Chest Stand — Fold the arms across the chest. 
Get down on the knees. Lean forward to rest on 
the arms and chest and raise the legs to hand stand 
position. If you overbalance, twist the head to one 
side and roll over on one shoulder. 

Running Maze— The boys follow one another 
and run in a circle, the leader turning on the inside 
of the last man. The circle keeps growing smaller 
and smaller. When too small to run in, the leader 
turns back on his tracks and unwinds himself and 
the others easily. 

Combinations — Round off! and flip. 

Hand stand; snap clown and flip. 

Round off; bucking broncho, several times; 
flip. 

Hand spring and pull over. (Figs. 174, 175); 
throw forward, hands between the legs (Figs. 137, 
138); A, the one in front, rolls forward to stand, B 
to lying on his back; sit on the feet and kick back 
(Figs. 156, 157). 



HOW TO 



129 



XXIII 

Back Roll Over Back— A does 
a hand stand and opens his legs as 
they go up. Just before he reaches 
the balance, B steps between the 
spread legs and puts them over his 
hips, as in figure 200. At an agreed 
signal, B leans forward, pressing 
hard upon A's legs with his fore- 
arms and A leans backward, swing- 
ing his arms backward and upward 




200 



(Fig. 201). 
to touch 
straightens 
final push 
as A's shoulders 
draws his knees 
as B lets go of 
keeps forcing his 
B gives him the 





202 



A's back begins 
he gradually 
gives the legs a 
humps his back 
touch his. A 
in to his chest 
his legs, and 
head well back as 
201 final throw, turn- 

ing as in Fig. 202. You 
should go through this 
exercise slowly several 
times, with someone to 
put a supporting hand 
on A's shoulder and chest 
to keep him up in case 
B does not lift him high 
enough with the hump. 



130 



HOW TO 



But when you are fairly sure of A landing on his 
feet, do the movement with all possible speed, B 
giving the hump by raising on his toes as he stands 
nearly erect. 



Hand Stand On the Hands, 
Lying Down— (Fig. 203). A 
lies on his back and raises his 
arms. B puts the palms of his 
hands across A's and swings 
his legs up to hand stand. This 
is a very difficult exercise, and 
requires a great deal of prac- 
tice. A should be a strong boy. 
You can face as shown in the 




203 



figure or in the opposite direction. 

Playful Lambs, Forward — A and B face each 
other. C faces the back of B, each standing about 
three feet from the other, B rolls forward, keeping 
his legs well spread. A immediately dives between 
B's legs and rolls with spread legs, making sure to 
dive high enough to clear B's head. B in the mean- 
time continues his rolls and makes a quick half 
turn as he rises to stand. C dives over A and B 
dives over C as he rolls. A, having finished his roll 
with a turn, dives over B, and so on. This is, of 
necessity, a very quick exercise, and great caution 
is necessary. Master the double dive (Fig. 100), 
before trying this. 



HOW TO 131 

Combinations — Starting from opposite ends 
of the mat, A does a handspring, while B rolls for- 
ward far enough for both to assume position 131; 
throw backward; B stands on A's shoulders; fall 
forward, B rolling with shears; sit on the shoulders 
and throw back (Figs. 183, 184). 

Starting from the same end of the mat, A does 
a hand spring and puts his hands on his knees; B 
runs and rolls over (Fig. 57), and puts his hands 
between his legs; A throws him forward (Fig. 
138); B turns round while A rolls backward to 
hand stand and snap down; B runs forward and 
jumps over A's head (Fig, 162). 

Starting from the same end of the mat, A does 
a round off, takes two steps backward and stands; 
B does a round off, then does a hand stand; A steps 
between his legs, turns, and throws him backward 
(Figs. 200-202); A rolls backward to handstand 
and snaps down; B runs forward, does a hand spring 
to the shoulders and is thrown back (Fig. 208). 

Upper Arm Hand Stand — A and 

B stand facing each other and take 

hold of each other's arms near the 

shoulders. A springs up and wraps 

his legs about B, who leans forward 

(Fig. 204). B then leans backward 

and pulls vigorously. A unclasps his "%04 

legs, drops his head over top of B's, draws his knees 

close to his chest and kicks up to hand stand (Fig. 




132 



HOW TO 



205). This is not very difficult, if 
B is powerful enough to give the 
requisite amount of pull. 

B should keep looking up, and 
not allow A to overbalance, or there 
may be trouble. If A is to drop 
over to the floor, have someone to 
catch him. 

Walk Around — From stand- 
ing on the shoulders, the lower boy 
(A) sits down, crossing his legs as 
he sinks. He straightens his legs 
and leans slowly backward to lie 
on his back. B keeps sliding his feet forward as A 
leans back until he stands on his chest, still steadied 
by A holding his legs. A raises his legs to a ver- 
tical position, and B, either with or without taking 
hold of the feet, steps onto one of A's thighs just 
above the knee. A turns that side of his body to 
rest on the mat, and comes to his hands and knees, 
B standing on the calves of his legs. B steps up 
onto A's hips and they do the jumps to stand on 
the shoulders. 




205 



Kick Behind the Leg— Have one foot behind 
the other and place a slipper, stick, small hoop or 
other article across the foot behind. Try to kick it 
forward a given distance between two marks. Be 
careful not to fall. 



HOW TO 



133 



Three Jumps to the Shoulders — A gets down 
on his hands and knees and sinks his abdomen a 
little. B stands at his feet and springs lightly to 
stand on A's hips, with his toes turned out. At a 
signal, B springs up and a trifle forward to alight 
on A's shoulders and A raises his back a little. A 
now brings one leg forward and puts the foot down 
alongside his hands. At the signal B springs 
straight up in the air a foot or more. A straight- 
ens his back to an erect position and catches B by 
the legs as he alights on his shoulders. A then 
stands up and carries B around and the two do the 
forward fall to finish. 

B will find that if he looks straight ahead he 
will be able to do better than if he allows his eyes 
to wander. A must be sure to get his back straight 
as he leans back at the last jump. Have a soft 
spot to fall on if you should miss badly. 

Hand Spring and Throw 

Back— (Fig. 206). A and B 
face each other about six feet 
apart. A bends his knees a lit- 
tle. B runs forward, places his 
hands on A's knees and throws 
his legs as if for a hand spring, 
coming down astride A's shoul- 
ders. A seizes him by the hips 
as he comes up. B leans back 
and A gives him a strong up- 




206 



134 HOW TO 

ward push. A draws his knees in, and turns back 
to the floor as in Fig. 184. Have assistance to sup- 
port, if necessary. 



Bent Arm Hand Stand — (Fig. 

207). A and B face each other about six 
feet apart, A standing with the palms of 
his hands forward and the fingers pointed 
toward his chest. B runs, puts his shoul- 
ders into A's hands, his hands on A's 
elbows, springs from both feet, doubles 
up and kicks up to hand stand. 

Crab Roll — Lie on your back. Draw 
the feet back close to the hips, rais- 
ing the knees. Place the hands on 
the floor alongside the shoulders, with the fingers 
pointed outward. Push the body up until the arms 
are straight. Turn sideward to rest on the hands 
and feet, front downward. Continue to starting 
position. 

Relay Race — Divide the players into two or 
more squads of equal numbers. Place representa- 
tives of each squad on lines 25 yards, or so, apart. 
There should be a similar distance between the last 
runners and the finishing line. At the signal those 
on the starting line run and tag those on the nearest 
line to them. The first runners then stop. The 




HOW TO 



185 



second relay runs to the third and tag them, and so 
on, the last set racing to the finishing line. 

Interest may be added by 
having the runners carry flags, 
or sticks, to deliver to the 
next relay, or sometimes, if 
the runners are large, let 
them carry small boys to 
deliver. 

Run in a circle, each 
player to run once round and 
then tag one of his own side. 

Run in a circle, the teams 
to start opposite each other 
and try to catch up. 

Pyramid — (Fig. 208). 
Two boys take two others on 
their shoulders, then face each 
other and each couple takes 208 

hold of hands or arms. A fifth steps on the 
arms of the upper two from the shoulders of 
another. 




186 



HOW TO 



XXIV 




209 



Back Somersault — Be sure 
to have a good strong belt about 
jour waist, to which tie a piece 
of rope on each side so that your 
assistants can hold you easier. 
Have the boy who stands on your 
right side take the rope in his 
left hand and the one who stands 
on your left take it in his right 
hand. Raise your hands as high 
as your face (Fig. 209), bend the 

knees a little bit, at the same time lower the arms 

to position 191 and keep looking straight forward. 

Spring upward, bringing the knees close to the 

chest, at the same time swing the arms vigorously 

upward, lifting with the shoulder muscles as much 

as possible. When at the top of your jump, throw 

your head back, grasp the 

legs a little below the knee 

and pull hard (Fig. 210). 

This should bring your feet 

under you at a point- high 

enough to allow you to 

straighten out and stand 

erect as you alight (Fig. 

211). Your assistants lift 

as you spring, catch you 





HOW TO 137 

beneath the thighs with their free 
hands and give your legs a back- 
ward throw. 

Turning backward is generally 
much harder to master than turn- 
ing forward, because it is so un- 
usual, and you must do this exer- 
cise a great many times with assist- 
211 ance, or until you are sure of 

getting around, before you try it by yourself. 

All the parts of the back somersault must be 
done so quickly that it is well to try them sepa- 
rately, as far as possible. Practice jumping upward, 
raising the knees and swinging the arms upward at 
the same time, but have someone put a hand at 
your back to keep you from falling over. Lie down, 
roll back to the shoulders, swing the arms as if 
doing the somersault, grasp the legs and pull. As 
soon as you give the pull, let go and put the hands 
back to keep from hurting your neck. 

When you are ready to do without the belt, 
have one of your helpers put a hand beneath your 
hips and lift just as you leave the mat. He must 
be careful not to interfere with the swinging of 
your arms. 

When still further advanced, or possibly at the 
same stage, stand on the hands of an assistant, as 
in Fig. 209, and have him give you a vigorous up- 
ward throw. You should do your part as if doing 
it alone. Your helper may lie down and put his 



138 HOW TO 

hands on the mat above his head, you to face his 
feet. 

Another way of getting assistance is to raise 
one leg in front, have your helper put one hand 
under your knee and the other under your ankle 
and lift. 

To land on the spot in front of the place from 
where you jump, look upward and forward and 
jump toward the point on which your eyes are 
fixed. Have the belt on for this, even if you can 
do the ordinary back somersault. 

Hand Stand On the Hands, Stand- 
ing — A stands on B's shoulders and 
takes hold of his hands (Fig. 212). B 
keeps his arms stiff and A leans forward, 
raises his hips with the knees close to 
the chest and slowly straightens up to 
hand stand" (Fig. 213). This 
is both difficult and dangerous. 

Take Care of Your Nose— 212 

Place a small object on the floor about 
two feet in front of the toes. Clasp the 
hands behind the back; raise one leg 
backward, keeping the knee straight, 
until it is horizontal; lean forward, bend 
the knee of the foot that is on the floor 
and pick up the object with the lips. Be 
careful not to hurt yourself. 






HOW TO 139 

Hand Spring Prom the Hips — 

A faces B and puts his head between 
his spread legs. B puts his hands on 
A's hips (Fig. 214). A straightens 
up and throws vigorously backward 
as B jumps. B keeps his hands on A's 
hips until his legs begin to descend, 
then pushes off hard. Have assistance. 214 

Back Somersault From the Back — A leans 
forward and puts his hands on his knees. B, facing 
in the same direction, steps onto A's shoulders and 
does a back somersault, A assists by straightening 
up just a little. All back somersaults from a 
height can be done as though you were on the 
ground. Keep the body straight after you turn, 
and fall perpendicularly. 

Stand on another's feet and turn a back somer- 
sault. 

Stand on the thighs of another (your supporter 
holds the back of the calves of your legs), and 
turn backward. 

Stand on the shoulders and turn backward. 

Have your supporter fold his arms across his 
chest, stand on them and turn backward. 

It is very important that your helper be strong 
and experienced. 

Do not try any of these until you have perfect 
control of the somersault from the mat. 



140 



HOW TO 




215 



Squat Over the Head Back- 
ward—A stands in front of B. 
They join hands, palms crossing. 
A springs up, lifting his knees in 
front as he rises, and receives a 
strong lift from B as he squats to 
staud on his shoulders — and later 
over the shoulders to the mat be- 
hind (Fig. 215). Have someone 
behind to catch. 

' Combinations — Round off and back somer- 
sault. 

Hand stand; snap down and back somersault. 
Round off; flip and back somersault. 
A row of flips and back somersault. 

Flip, With a Half Turn — Just before the 
hands leave the mat in the last part of the flip, 
turn the head to one side. This will bring one 
foot to the mat before the other. Turn on the ball 
of this foot and finish the half turn as the body 
rises to stand. 

You can also do the turn by a quick twist of 
the head and shoulders as the hands leave the mat. 
This will bring you onto both feet at the same 
time. It is harder than the other method. 

Twisting Back Somersault — All the prelimi- 
nary movements are the same as for the ordinary 
somersault. Just as the legs are grasped in the 



HOW TO 



141 



turn, twist tne head around, and, as you straighten 
out, complete a half turn of the body. 

Pyramid— (Fig. 216). Four 
boys get on their hands and 
knees, facing outward from the 
center of a small circle. Four 
others stand on their backs and 
grasp arms near the shoulders. 
Another stands on the shoulders 
of two of these, taking his posi- 
tion from standing on the shoul- 
ders of someone else. 

Three Deep, or Tag the 
Third — The players form 
double circle, standing one in 
front of the other and facing the 
centre, with the couples about three paces apart. A 
tagger and a runner are "it." The runner goes a 
little way around the circle, then steps in front of 
a pair of players. The third, or last man, must 
now try to escape the tagger. If he should be 
caught, he becomes tagger, and immediately tries 
to tag the player who was just pursuing him. 
Escape is always made by stepping in front of a 
couple and obliging a new third man to run. It is 
not allowed to run around the inside of the circle, 
or to "cut across.'' 

The third man (the runner), may resort to 
tricks. For an example, take the couple C and D. J 




216 



142 



HOW TO 



A is runner after 15, who succeeds in placing him- 
self in front of C and D; D is then the third man, 
and must therefore run away; but instead of plac- 
ing himself in front of some other couple, he sim- 
ply steps forward quickly and places himself in 
front of his own row; this makes C the third man, 
for now D, B and C are standing behind one 
another. 

As soon as B has placed himself in front of C 
and D, D can place himself in front of his own 




217 

row by diving forward between the legs of B 
and C, thus again making C the third man. 

D can reach forward and catch hold of B as 
soon as B places himself in front, and swing the 
whole row around so that the order of their posi- 
tions will be D, C and B, facing outward. In this 
case B is again immediately made the third man. 

As soon as B has placed himself in front of C 
and D, D may jump over the heads (leap frog 
fashion), of B and C, and in this way make C the 
third man. 



HOW TO 



143 




218 



XXV 

High Back Somersault — A 

stands with one foot in advance, 
locks the fingers of both hands and 
holds them between his legs at 
about the level of the knee, B runs 
forward, places his hands on A's 
shoulders, and the ball of one foot 
|in his hands (Fig. 218). He springs 
from the foot on the ground, 

pushes with his hands and either does a regular 

back somersault as A throws him (Fig. 219), or 

leans back, without lifting the knees and does a 

u lay-out" somersault, 

in which the body is 

curved from the heels 

to the head. 

The two should 

practice the lift a good 

many times before B 

tries to turn over. 

After they work well 

together — that is, 

when it is certain that 

B will not bend back 

too soon and thus 

shove A away from him before he can give the 

throw, A should stand with his heels on a line, 





219 




220 



144 HOW TO 

instead of having one foot in advance, as he can 
lift better from this position, as in Fig. 161. 

Crab, On Hands and Feet — A 

lies on his back and raises his legs and 
arms to a vertical position. B places 
his hands on A's feet, gives a slight 
spring and bends over to rest his feet 
in A's hands (Fig. 220). 

Diving Front Somersault — This 
is usually done from a spring board, 
but can be done from the ground. 
Run and dive forward-upward at an angle of some- 
thing like forty-five degrees. Just as you begin to 
lose momentum, put the chin against your chest, 
draw the knees up, swing the arms down to grasp 
the shins and turn. Let go and straighten out as 
usual. 

Combinations — Starting from opposite ends of 
the mat, A does a running front somersault; as 
soon as he alights, B does a round off; A takes hold 
of his hands and B jumps first over one arm, then 
the other, and either jumps backward to stand on 
A's shoulders and does a hand spring forward from 
there, or does the lifting hand spring (Fig. 225). 

Starting from the same end of the mat, facing 
in opposite directions, A does flips to the farther 
end; B does a front somersault. A runs and jumps 
over B's head (Fig. 162), rolls forward and throws 



HOW TO 145 

his legs up to hand stand; B does a flip with a half 
turn, steps in and throws A backward (Figs. 200- 
202); both do one flip; A runs forward and is 
thrown by B (Figs. 218, 219). 

Starting from the same end of the mat, A does 
a round off and back somersault; B does a roll 
down (Figs. 151, 152, 139), and over to stand, 
takes hold of B's arms and does an upper arm hand 
stand (Figs. 204,205); he comes back to his feet 
in front of A with a snap; both do a flip and a 
back somersault. 

Double Flip — A stands in 
front of B, bends backward and 
puts his arms about B's waist, 
turning his head to one side, if 
necessary. B leans forward and 
puts his arms about A. A gives 
a spring, B leans backward and 
pulls A over to his feet (Fig. 221 

221). The instant A lands, B springs, and the 
movement is repeated. 

Great care must be exercised in learning this, 
so as not to injure each other's backs. Have an 
assistant for each boy, to lift the legs at the start 
of each turn. 

Hand Stand and Back Somersault — A and 

B face each other. A does a hand stand. B leans 
forward, puts his hands under A's shoulders, lifts 
straight up, and throws hard. A does the regular 




146 



HOW TO 




back somersault movement, and should land on his 
feet. B must be large enough and strong enough 
to lift A easily. This is not for beginners. 

Hand Stand From the 
Floor — A lies on his back and 
raises one leg. B faces him 
and takes hold of his hands 
(Fig. 222). B leans back and 
pulls hard. A puts the raised 
222 foot down and springs up, 

raising his hips and drawing his knees 

to his chest (Fig. 223), and puts his 

head alongside B's. B straightens 

his legs with a kick, and he and A 

both straighten their arms to hand 

stand on hands (Fig. 224). A drops 

over to stand. 

Hand Ball — Have a fence, or 5§y 
wall, eight feet, or more, in height, 223 

with a smooth piece of ground, or boards, in front 
of it. Mark off a space that one boy can easily 
cover, say fifteen feet from side to side, and thirty 
feet from the wall to the back. Draw a line from 
one side line to the other, half way from the wall 
to the back line. This is called the "short" line. 

Two boys are to play. One takes a tennis ball, 
or a regulation hand ball, which is smaller than a 
tennis ball and very hard, and, standing between 
the short line and the wall, bounds it and bats it 





HOW TO 147 

with, his hand against the wall so 
that it will strike the ground be- 
hind the short line. The other 
player, standing where he chooses, 
must then strike the ball after the 
first bound and bat it with his 
hand so that it returns and hits the 
wall. On its rebound it is returned 
by the server, and on the following 
rebound by the other player, and so 
on until one or the other fails to 
make a proper return. 
224 If the server is the one to fail, 

he changes places with the other player. 

If the receiver fails, it counts one for the 
server. The player making 21 points first wins. 

If the server misses the ball in trying to serve, 
he is out. If the ball strikes him before it is 
played by his opponent, he is out. If his opponent 
plays the ball and it strikes him, it is "interfer- 
ence," and the ball is played over. 

The receiver must strike the ball when first 
served to him only after the first bound; on the 
returns, however, he may hit it on the fly. A ball 
struck after the second bound is not counted. 

Four may play. The partner of the server 
stands on the side line at the short line until the 
ball is put in play. The companion of the receiver 
is with him in the court, 



148 



HOW TO 



This is merely an outline, but it will be found 
all that is necessary for those who wish to have 
some enjoyable exercise. Those wishing to play a 
more elaborate game, can find the rules in other 
publications. 

Lifting Handspring— A stands 
in front of B. They take hold of 
hands and A springs upward, rais- 
ing his knees in front as he rises, 
assisted by a strong lift and push 
from B. When in position to squat 
backward over the head, A raises 
his hips, keeping the knees close to 
the chest, bends his head forward, 
and turns over (Fig. 225). B must 
keep his arms nearly straight while 
A turns. Have an assistant to catch A. 

From the starting position, A jumps over B's 
right arm and back again. He does the same over 
the left, and then does the hand spring. 




225 



Pull Over and Turn Over — A should be con- 
siderably smaller than B. They face each other. 
A leans forward and puts his hands between his 
legs. B takes hold and pulls. As A comes over, 
B turns his elbows out to catch the inside of his 
thighs (Fig. 128), and pushes him on over to the 
mat. As so often said, A must keep his head well 



HOW TO 



149 



back as he goes over, and there should be an assist- 
ant to put an arm across his chest as he drops, until 
the exercise is thoroughly mastered. 

Pyramid— (Fig. 226). The manner of form- 
ing this combination will be apparent at a glance 
to those who have tried all the pyramids in this 
book. 




226 



150 HOW TO 



ndex 



COMBINATIONS — 

4, 7, 13, 19, 24, 31, 36, 43, 47, 52, 57, 63, 68, 75, 80, 88, 
95, 101, 107, 113, 117, 128, 131, 140, 144. 

GAMES — 

Baste the Bear - - - - 25 

Battle "With Balls - 58 

Bean Bag ------ 86 

Beater Goes Round - - - - 69 

Black Man - - - - - 101 

Broncho Riding ----- 90 

Buck, Buck, How Many Horns Are Up? - - 89 

Bull in the Ring - - - - 50 

Cat and Mouse ----- 48 

Catch the Thief ----- 108 

Chicken Fight - - - - - no 

Circle Race - 42 

Cock Fight ------ 38 

Dog Fight ----- io 6 

Dodge Ball - - - - - - 118 

Egg Race - - - - - 96 

Follow My Leader ----- 4 

Foot in the Hole - - - - 92 

Fox and Hen _ _ _ _ _ 14 

Fox in His Hole ----- 74 

Hand Ball ------ 146 

Hand "Wrestle - - - - - 52 

Hang Tag 94 

Hop and Reach ----- 68 

Hop Fight ------ 21 

Hop Wrestle - - - - - 124 

Horse and Rider - - - - - 127 

Indian Wrestle - - - - - 114 

Jump, Little Nag Tail - - - 60 

King of the Castle - 9 

Leap Frog 23 



HOW TO 151 

Potato Race _____ 67 

Prisoners Base - - - - 83 

Pull Over _____ j 

Push Boy ------ 23 

Relay Race - 134 

Rope Jump ------ 20 

Running Knot ----- 120 

Running Maze - - - - 128 

Shoulder Wrestle - - - - . 3 

Snake Wrestle - - - - 96 

Staff Shove 108 

Stick Wrestle - 109 

Teacher -_-_-- 30 

Tender Green - - - - 37 

Three Deep - 141 

Toe Wrestle ----__ 64 

Toss - - - - - 86 

Touch ______ 102 

Turn the Bars ----- 52 

Up and Down - 121 

PYRAfllDS — 

3, 8, 13, 19, 25, 32, 36, 42, 47, 53, 57, 64, 68, 75, 76, 82, 
90, 95, 100, 109, 113, 121, 126, 135, 141, 149. 

TRICKS— 

Arm Circle _-_--- 87 

Arm, Leg and Lips - _ _ _ 56 

Armless Rise ----- 3 

Backward Bend ----- 78 

Book Throw - - - - - -12 

Chair Balance - - - - - 114 

and Pin - - - - - 78 

Circle - 46 

Lift ------ 49 

Turn Over In 49 

Chew the String - - - - 40 

Click the Heels ----- 72 

Cow -------73 

Double Carry - - - - - 119 

Hand Circles - - - - - 17 

Head Push ------ 73 

Heel and Toe ----- 46 



152 HOW TO 



High Jump - 


- 96 


Hold the Toes and Jump 


21 


Jump Rope, Lying Down - 


100 


Kneel and Rise - 


2 


Kick Behind the Leg 


- 132 


Legless - 


126 


Leg Twist - 


94 


Lever - 


88 


Half - 


- 38 


Limber Up - 


102 


Lip Stretch - - 


41 


Long Arm - - • - 


114 


Long Reach - 


- 56 


Nose and Bar - 


17 


Palm Spring - 


12 


Rub and Pat - 


6 


Seat Balance - 


102 


Single Carry - 


112 


Sit and Rise - 


22 


Splits - 


46 


Stage Fall - - 


100 


Step Over One Foot 


3 1 


Stoop, If You Can - 


79 


Stooping Push - 


45 


Stooping Stretch 


5 


Strong Boy - 


96 


Take Care of Your Nose 


■ 138 


Touch Knee, Rise and Hop 


29 


Turn in the Air 


- 89 


Twist Through a "Wand - 


16 


Twist Under a Wand 


- 63 


Walk on the Hands 


17 


Wrongside Out 


- 123 


MBLING — 

Balance Above the Head 


98 


Head 


94 


Horizontal 


82 


Knee and Hand in Hands 


57 


Knees in Hands 


56 


On the Elbows 


24 


On the Head 


99 


Backward Fall - 


- 67 


Bucking Broncho - 


66 



HOW TO 153 

Cartwheel ------ 44 

Chest Stand - - - - - 128 

Crab 86 

On Hands and Feet - 144 
Cradle Rock ------ 50 

Crawler ------ 13 

Dive ------- 21 

Double _---■'- 60 

Through a Ring - - - 51 

Through the Hands - 51 

Elbow Stand ------ 68 

Rock ----- 46 

End Over End ----- 36 

Flip ------ 122 

Double - - - - . - - 145 

With a Half Turn 140 

Forward Fall - - - - - 18 

Two High - - - - 61 

Throw, Hands Between the Legs - 85 

Hand Spring ----- 27 

and Pull Over - no 

and Throw Back - - - 133 

From the Hips - 139 

From the Knees - 75 

From the Shoulders - 107 

High 118 

Hop and - - - - 62 

Jumping _ _ - - 62 

Lifting _ - _ _ 148 

One Hand - - - - 61 

Over a Stick - 106 

Over the Feet - I25 

With Feet Together 62 

Hand Stand ----- 15 

and Back Somersault - - 145 

Bent Arm on One Supporter - 134 

From the Floor - 146 

on the Back - 73 

on the Chest and Drop Over - 91 

on the Hands, Lying Down - 130 

on the Hands, Standing - - 138 

on the Knees, Standing 62 

on Two Supporters - - - 117 

One Hand - 55 

Roll 59 



154 HOW TO 

Hand Stand, Upper arm - 131 

Vertical - - - - 55 

Head Circle - 24 
Head Spin ------ 73 

Head Spring - - - - - 28 

From Head Stand - - - 55 

With Half Turn 74 

Head Stand ------ 10 

on the Back - - - 55 

Jump Between the Hands - - 2 

Backward on the Shoulders - - 6 

Elephant 29 

Frog - 4 

From the Shoulders - - - - 74 

High ----- 99 

Horizontal Upward - - - 11 

Legs, Horizontal - 35 

Low Down - - - - 35 

Over the Hands - - - - 55 

Over One Leg - - - 40 

Sit on the Heels and - 10 

Three to the Shoulders - 133 

Kick Back - - - - - 97 

Facing Bast and West - 105 

Sidewards - - - 105 

Leg Circles on the Mat - - - 40 

Over Head - - - - 41 

Low Down Dance ----- 41 

Playful Lambs, Forward - 130 

Sidewards - 112 

Pull Over and Turn Over 148 

Hands Between the Legs - 78 

the Back ... - 71 

Roll, Abdominal - - - - 128 

Backward ----- 5 

Back Over Back - 129 

Crab ... 134 

Double - - - - - - 65 

Double to Hand Stand - - - 11 1 

Down Backward - - - 93 

Down Forward - 93 

Forward 1 

Holding Toes or Ankles - 7 
Over Boy ----- 34 

Over Boys, Sidewards - 6 



HOW TO 155 

Roll, Stand on the Hands and - - - 119 

Tailor ----- 22 

to Front Leaning Rest - - 17 

to Hand Stand - 34 

to Head Stand 34 

Triple ----- 124 

With Shears ----- 22 

Various ----- 18 

Round Off - - - =_ - 72 

With Turn - - - - 87 

Shoulder Stand on the Hands - - - 76 

on Two Supporters - - 81 

Sit on Shoulders and Throw Back - - 116 

Snail Crawl ----- 1 

Snap Down ------ 49 

Up - - - - - - 39 

Variations - - - - - 45 

Somersault, Back - 136 

From the Shoulders, etc. - 139 

High - - - - 143 

Hand Stand and - - 145 

Twisting - 140 

Front ----- 103 

Diving . _ _ 144 

One Leg - 104 

Stand on the Shoulders - 33 

on the Feet - 106 

Straddle Backward - 79 

Forward ----- 92 

From the Floor - - - 112 

Squat Over the Head, Backward - - - 140 

Forward - 108 

Throw Backward, Head Between the Legs - 89 

Lying on the Back 79 

Twins' Promenade - - - 12 

Walk Around ----- 132 

Crocodile ----- 120 

Elephant ----- 29 

Double - - - 54 

Hump ----- 28 

Little Crab's ----- 35 

Low Down ----- 38 

Off - - - - 30 

on the Hands - 30 

Wheelbarrow - - - - - 2 



\CQi o?V. 

1902 



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